XXX Nightshift - true detective RPG from former Disco Elysium developers

[Ontopoly]

He didn't confirm my theory. Could that be confirmation of my theory?

 

[Laz Sundays]

I like this style of marketing more than what we usually see, I'm in

 

[Darkened_Ra1n]

It appears as though it will soon drop—possibly even tomorrow. The XXX logo was posted on Instagram earlier today by Timo Albert, a graphic designer who has collaborated with massive artists but more importantly on DISCO ELYSIUM.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DA9LZovOfTL/?hl=en

As you know, I've been on the inside, and this is exactly the signal we’ve been waiting for. I’ve been following this closely, and now, the pieces are finally locking into place, just like I warned you they would. It’s about to get real—so if you’re ready for something monumental, pay attention.



And a special thanks to whoever removed my previous thread. You're doing an amazing job, my friend—what better way to keep us all guessing than to erase information leaks? Keep up the fantastic work.

 

[Lemming42]

Represents the X in the top right of the screen that I click whenever Disco Elysium is mentioned

 

[Fedora Master]

As you know, I've been on the inside,

No we don't.

Also DE is cancer.

 

[InD_ImaginE]

Is this guy an alt with the initial obscure posting?

Or is he a viral marketing executive?

 

[anvi]

Disco Elshitium

 

[Wasteland]

I don't know what's incoming, but if the author of Disco Elysium is involved, I can be sure it isn't a game.

 

[lukaszek]

xxx is obviously porn game, another competition for Tyranicon

 

[Fedora Master]

Is this guy an alt with the initial obscure posting?

Or is he a viral marketing executive?

He seems to have the tacit approval of the Kohen of Kringe so...

 

[Rean]

And a special thanks to whoever removed my previous thread.

It wasn't removed, it was moved to a very secret place, you poor poor men.

 

[ColonelMace]

Posting in one of those threads.

 

[Catacombs]

This is, of course, a teaser for the long-awaited new entry in the hit film series XXX.

 

[Jaesun]

Posting in a whatever the fuck this even means thread.

 

[Tyranicon]

I approve of cryptic messaging in a niche RPG forum. This is a top-tier marketing move, people should be taking notes.

Looking forward to the Vin Diesel visual novel or whatever this turns out to be.

 

[Infinitron]

Comparing the style of OP's posts with Marat Sar.

 

[Lyric Suite]

The only big thing that's coming is the big fat dick of decline pounding your ass.

 

[Darkened_Ra1n]

It’s nice to see you’re still using the insults my mom taught you. She always had a way with words.

 

[Jaesun]

I approve of cryptic messaging in a niche RPG forum. This is a top-tier marketing move, people should be taking notes.

I agree as well. I love this kind of cryptic stuff. However, this is probably something from the marketing team of some shit decline rpg.

Would be cool to see something like this for an actual good cRPG...

 

[ropetight]

If this thread is aiming to be code at the end of the Gravity Falls for the RPG autists, it should be more elaborate.

 

[Gandalf]

It's XXX Nightshift.

Set in 2086, you play a Patrol Op, Dinorah Katz, who is stranded at a luxury Ski resort in Antarctica. This original science-fiction setting lands you in a resort that shouldn’t exist with people that you shouldn’t know with the endless polar night covering a multitude of sins. XXX NIGHTSHIFT will deliver a deep single-player role-playing experience with many tools and layers of gameplay. A unique companion dynamic adds more fun and offers different paths to solve cases. The innovative and powerful role-playing system respects your time and trusts your intelligence with seismic choices. It’s up to you to decide how your story unfolds—and how it ends.

 

[Gandalf]

I solved the riddle, I think. So, Disco Elisium 2 (sort of).

It's XXX Nightshift.

Set in 2086, you play a Patrol Op, Dinorah Katz, who is stranded at a luxury Ski resort in Antarctica. This original science-fiction setting lands you in a resort that shouldn’t exist with people that you shouldn’t know with the endless polar night covering a multitude of sins. XXX NIGHTSHIFT will deliver a deep single-player role-playing experience with many tools and layers of gameplay. A unique companion dynamic adds more fun and offers different paths to solve cases. The innovative and powerful role-playing system respects your time and trusts your intelligence with seismic choices. It’s up to you to decide how your story unfolds—and how it ends.

 

[Dark Souls II]

Impressive how the voice actress managed to annoy me with her delivery in just 30 seconds of the trailer, I had to pause the video at 0:32. The original version of Disco Elysium without full voice acting was 100% better too, no need to voice every line, especially if the voice acting is trash. And the voice actress here is really bad, who thought that hiring the cheapest voice actress on Fiverr and making her deliver all lines in an ASMR style would be a good idea? This is trash.

This is how good ASMR sounds like:


Also, if your game about Antarctica doesn't feature ADOLF HITLER, I don't even want to hear about it.

 

[Gandalf]

I haven't played disco Elysium, so I can't really compare or write anything smart about the topic. I hope there will be combat this time, so it will feel more like a Planetscape Tournament.
I'll check the trailer and the asmr video later (need to look for my headphones).

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.ign.com/articles/youd-b...-people-who-worked-at-zaum-is-disco-elysium-2

You’d Be Forgiven for Thinking This Disco Elysium Spiritual Successor From Some of the People Who Worked at ZA/UM Is Disco Elysium 2​

On Disco Elysium’s five-year anniversary, two separate studios each made up of people who used to work at developer ZA/UM have announced they're both making a spiritual successor of their own.

Disco Elysium is a 2019 narrative role-playing game developed and published by controversial studio ZA/UM. Gameplay revolves around navigating dialogue trees rather than combat, with each of the 24 skills representing a different aspect of the amnesiac detective protagonist's abilities and thoughts. The player is free to support or suppress his ideologies as they work through the story. Disco Elysium is considered by some among the greatest video games ever made.

It went on to enjoy enormous success, winning numerous game of the year awards and selling millions of copies. A TV series adaptation deal followed, as did the release of an expanded version of the game featuring full voice acting and new content subtitled The Final Cut. A follow-up seemed all but guaranteed, but after high-profile staff exits and subsequent messy legal tussles brought ZA/UM to its knees, what might have turned out to be a Disco Elysium sequel was canceled.

Now, two new London-based studios have emerged from the chaos: Dark Math Games and Longdue Games. Each has drawn a line back to both Disco Elysium and ZA/UM in the announcement of not just their existence, but their upcoming games.

Let’s start with Dark Math Games. Founded in 2023, Dark Math describes itself as a “breakaway group” from the original development team of Disco Elysium. It is a group of 20 people, about half of whom “contributed” to “bringing the critically acclaimed hit Disco Elysium and Disco Elysium - The Final Cut to life.”

Dark Math’s game is called XXX NIGHTSHIFT and, like Disco Elysium, is described as a ‘true detective RPG.’ Here’s the official blurb:

Set 2086, you play a Patrol Op, Dinorah Katz, who is stranded at a luxury Ski resort in Antarctica. This original science-fiction setting lands you in a resort that shouldn’t exist with people that you shouldn’t know with the endless polar night covering a multitude of sins.

XXX NIGHTSHIFT will deliver a deep single-player role-playing experience with many tools and layers of gameplay. A unique companion dynamic adds more fun and offers different paths to solve cases. The innovative and powerful role-playing system respects your time and trusts your intelligence with seismic choices. It’s up to you to decide how your story unfolds — and how it ends.

Based on its announcement trailer and screenshots, XXX NIGHTSHIFT looks remarkably similar to Disco Elysium, even down to the isometric perspective and dialogue text that moves up the right-hand side of the screen as the player makes choices and hears voice actors bring a narrator and the protagonist’s internal monologue to life.

One of the four Dark Math founders is art director Timo Albert, who was a motion graphic designer at ZA/UM from 2018 to October 2022. Albert commented: “Additionally to innovating the traditional RPG mechanics, we’ll bring something fresh to the table. You will see. And of course, a few less words. And a few more bullets, perhaps. In total: lot more fun.”

According to filings on Companies House, Dark Math's active directors include Heiti Kender, with his brother, Kaur Kender, listed as a resigned director. Kaur Kender was an early investor in ZA/UM and executive producer of Disco Elysium. In March 2023, a bitter legal dispute between Kender and ZA/UM over ownership of the coveted Disco Elysium IP was resolved, with a court ordering Kender to repay ZA/UM CEO Ilmar Kompus for legal fees.

Now, let’s move on to Longdue Games. It said it’s making a “new psychological RPG... set in a game world conceived by the leads of the now canceled Disco Elysium sequel.” Others working on this untitled Disco Elysium spiritual successor worked at the likes of Bungie, Rockstar, and Yes, Your Graces developer Brave At Night.

Longdue, backed by tech investor Riaz Moola, said it has a “focus on creating psychologically deep, narrative-first experiences” and wants to become “a meaningful and consistent voice in the isometric cRPG space.”

“With the fifth anniversary of Disco Elysium on the horizon, Longdue is proud to announce its formation as a new independent studio that has raised seed investment to create an RPG that will continue Disco Elysium’s award-winning legacy and represent a bold new artistic endeavor that aims to trailblaze in the narrative-first cRPG space,” Longdue said in its note to press.

Longdue didn’t name its game (all we have for now is a solitary piece of concept art, below), but it did say it features what it calls a “psychogeographic" RPG mechanic “where every decision reshapes both the world and the characters that inhabit it.” “In this experience,” Longdue explained, “the lines between the mind and the environment blur, colliding and transforming with each choice, leading players through an ever-evolving narrative landscape.”

Concept art for Longdue's Disco Elysium spiritual successor.
Here’s the official blurb on Longdue’s game:

Longdue’s debut RPG explores the delicate interplay between the conscious and subconscious, the seen and unseen. Set in a world where choices ripple between the character’s psyche and environment, players will navigate a constantly shifting landscape, shaped by both internal and external forces.

Longdue mentioned just one of its developers in its press release: narrative director Grant Roberts. Roberts said: “At Longdue, we're inspired by decades of classic RPGs, from Ultima and Wizardry, through Fallout and Planescape, to the justifiably adored Disco Elysium.

"We're excited to continue that legacy with another narrative-first, psychological RPG, where the interplay between inner worlds and external landscapes is the beating heart of the experience. We're building a world-class team for a world-class game that will tell a world-class story, and we can't wait to show you more.”

Londue isn’t announcing anyone else working at the company right now, “but is looking forward to talking more about the studio and the game in the future,” a representative told IGN.

It’s worth noting that neither Robert Kurvitz, the lead writer and designer of Disco Elysium and founding member of ZA/UM, nor Aleksander Rostov, who was art director on Disco Elysium, are involved with either studio. Both were fired from ZA/UM in 2022 amid allegations of mismanagement and misconduct. Kurvitz and Rostov are reportedly making a new game of their own at a studio called Red Info, which is backed by Chinese internet company NetEase.

As for ZA/UM, it reportedly canceled a standalone expansion for Disco Elysium back in February, leaving several staff members at risk of losing their jobs. While an official Disco Elysium 2 seems as unlikely now as it did when ZA/UM first fell apart, it is clear that there are many who are keen to keep the dream alive.