Disco Park Studio Teases Next Project Instead of Disco Love
Blog Andrew Joseph 12 Mar , 2025 0
Today, disco Elysium developer ZA/UM offers the smallest tease of the next project: a game focused on the spy and spy theme currently called “Project C4.”
As part of the show, we looked at a Short trailerand introduces some of the big ideas we can expect in C4 and what we shouldn't expect. First, we are told that C4 is not Disco Elysium 2, but happens in a completely primitive new world. We were also told that this is clearly not a 007-style spy story. Instead, it was inspired by John LeCarré's novel, especially the Smiley and Karla trilogy (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Honorary Elementary School Student and Smiley's People). It also includes elements of psychological science fiction, borrowed from authors such as Usula Leguin and Philip K. Dick, and action sequences inspired by Park Chan-Wook.
We were told that the C4 project would be about the struggles of espionage behind the scenes, spies, loyalty, betrayal…and failures. Failure will play a particularly critical role in Project C4, as it sounds like it will bring back a key element of the disco Elysium: the “Fail Forward” philosophy. Like in the disco, a failure in C4 does not cause a game to be reset or reloaded. Instead, the story will move forward to resolve your failures. This means taking on the consequences of the decision, such as whom to align, whom to stay true to and how to spend your time. Yes, you are still at the mercy of dice rolls.
The press release is clearer about the story itself:
The world of (C4) is full of dark characters that help move competitive geopolitical forces in games that hide conflict. Players set out to complete a desperate mission that puts them at risk of losing their lives or worse – exposed because of their true identity.
As an operator who creates suspiciousness for global capabilities, players find themselves trapped in a secret struggle for truth and influence. However, it is the idea of taking center stage in the project (C4). It is more fragile and powerful than the physical world, and can be deleted, changed, reordered by regular use of psychoactive substances (and other ways) and of course it will change greatly. Players must keep themselves in their own state with the comfort of any ability in order to survive on the real violent canvas.
Unfortunately, it is worth noting that although the studio's name is the same, many people working in disco balls will not be able to work on the C4 project. Many former ZA/UM members have left the studio since the release of Disco Elysiummultiple conflicting reports surfaced, involving allegations of investor fraud and financial ills, as well as reactions from some developers, creating a toxic working environment. People make games Working to summarize and reconcile these accounts in lengthy video reports, but the end result is to split za/um into Multiple new studios It is said to be in progress Spiritual successorthe remaining ZA/UM is now focused on project C4. There is little hope for real Disco Love 2.
We hope to see more C4 projects from ZA/UM at the game developer meeting next week.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior journalist at IGN. You can find her post on bluesky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Is there a story tip? Send it to [email protected].
