More former Disco Elysium developers have joined Longdue to create a spiritual successor

If you still miss the genius of Disco Elysium, get ready for another twist in the universe of its original creators: the new studio Longdue, founded by former members of the Disco Elysium team, has just announced Hopetown, a "psychogeographic RPG" that promises to keep the legacy alive — and with the return of heavyweight names linked to the cult game of 2019.

This week, Longdue released the first teaser trailer of Hopetown, revealing character art, a bit of the gloomy atmosphere, and a voice-over full of psychological tension. Additionally, the team confirmed the launch of the Kickstarter campaign scheduled for March 17, where more details about the project will be revealed.

Among the big surprises, Lenval Brown, the unforgettable narrator of Disco Elysium, is back, now playing a key character in Hopetown.

"It's good to be back — to step into something new," said Brown in an official statement. "There's nothing like bringing a world to life, shaping a story that has been waiting to be told."

Another heavyweight joining Longdue is Martin Luiga, a founding member of the ZA/UM Cultural Association and one of the central figures in the original Disco Elysium writing team.

"I am pleased to share my experiences with Longdue to help them build the narrative and systems of Hopetown, leveraging the best that the narrative RPG genre has achieved and seeking to innovate to tell a deep story, based on what was, what is, and what could be," stated Luiga. "I am confident that the team will deliver a worthy addition to the canon of Western RPGs. And I call on RPG and adventure fans to support the Kickstarter for Hopetown to help us make the game."

In addition, Piotr Sobolewski, who was involved in the development of Disco Elysium (although listed only as part of "additional development" via The Knights of Unity), is also on the team.

Hopetown arrives amidst a dispute of spiritual successors to Disco Elysium

It's worth noting that Hopetown is not alone in this battle to be the spiritual successor to Disco Elysium. Since the internal breakup that fragmented ZA/UM, several derivative studios have emerged, each trying to capture the innovative spirit of the isometric RPG released in 2019.

Among them:

• Dark Math Games, based in the UK, with the project XXX Nightshift, described as the work of "a dissident group from the original development team of Disco Elysium" (announced in October 2023).
• Summer Eternal, the studio of Argo Tuulik, co-creator of the world of Disco Elysium, announced shortly after.
• Red Info, the new studio of Robert Kurvitz, main writer and designer of Disco Elysium, and Aleksander Rostov, artist of the original game.
   

Furthermore, ZA/UM itself, now without many of its original creators, announced "C4", a new game that blends RPG elements with dice, psychedelic science fiction, and espionage, in a clear attempt to remain relevant in the scene of political and experimental RPGs.

All this movement comes after months of legal proceedings, internal disputes, and public accusations, which divided the studio and impacted the intellectual property of Disco Elysium. An extensive report published in November detailed the chaotic breakup of ZA/UM, and since then, the legal disputes would, in theory, be resolved.

What to expect from Hopetown?

There are few details released so far, but the studio has already promised that Hopetown will be a deep narrative experience, addressing psychological and social themes, with the unique signature of isometric RPG and impactful dialogues. The definition of "psychogeographic" suggests an innovative approach to how the environment impacts the mind and actions of the characters — something that closely resembles the disruptive proposal of Disco Elysium.

For now, what is known:

• Isometric RPG style, focusing on narrative and choices.
• Psychological, political, and social themes, exploring the impact of the environment on the psyche of the characters.
• Return of veterans like Lenval Brown and Martin Luiga, reinforcing the connection with Disco Elysium.
• Crowdfunding campaign via Kickstarter scheduled to start on March 17.
   

With so many heavyweight former members gathered and an atmosphere that directly recalls the narrative and philosophical style that made Disco Elysium famous, Hopetown is already one of the most anticipated projects for those seeking deep narrative experiences.

The question remains whether Longdue will be able to deliver something on par with the phenomenon that was the RPG released in 2019 — and how this battle between spiritual successors will redefine the genre for the years to come.

And you? Will you support Hopetown on Kickstarter or are you more curious about other projects like C4 and XXX Nightshift?