Longdue, a newly established studio formed by former staff of Disco Elysium, has recently unveiled a teaser trailer for their upcoming project titled Hopetown. This promising new game will be a “psychogeographic RPG” and is set to launch a Kickstarter campaign on March 17, where fans can expect more detailed information and insights about the game.
The teaser trailer showcases captivating character artwork and features a voiceover that hints at intriguing psychological elements within the plot. Fans of the genre can find the trailer available on popular video platforms such as YouTube, giving viewers a glimpse of what’s to come.
A noteworthy aspect of Hopetown is the involvement of Lenval Brown, who is returning to lend his voice to a pivotal character in the game. Brown is well-known for his role as the narrator in Disco Elysium and expressed his excitement about taking part in this new venture, stating, “It feels good to be back – to step into something new. There’s nothing like bringing a world to life, shaping a story that’s been waiting to be spoken into existence.” His return adds a familiar touch for fans of Disco Elysium while also creating new storytelling opportunities.
In addition to Brown’s return, Martin Luiga has joined Longdue. Luiga, a founding member of the ZA/UM Cultural Association and a key writer for Disco Elysium, is contributing his expertise to help craft the narrative for Hopetown. He shared his hopes for the game, emphasizing the importance of building on existing strengths within the narrative RPG genre while also exploring new storytelling innovations. Luiga has called upon supporters of RPGs and adventure games to back Hopetown on Kickstarter to help realize this ambitious project.
The Longdue team also includes Piotr Sobolewski, who was part of the development team behind Disco Elysium. He played a role in providing “additional development” for the game through The Knights of Unity. Although his connection to Disco Elysium isn’t as direct as Brown’s or Luiga’s, his presence adds another layer of experience to the Longdue team, further strengthening their credibility.
Longdue’s announcement comes in a landscape populated by various projects from former Disco Elysium developers. Notably, the anticipation around Hopetown, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of Disco Elysium, seems to highlight an exciting period for fans. The original studio, ZA/UM, has recently announced its next title, C4, which promises to merge dice-rolling mechanics with elements of psychedelic sci-fi and espionage. However, it’s worth noting that many of the original Disco Elysium team members have left ZA/UM, marking a significant shift within the studio.
Several other independent projects also emerged following the Disco Elysium success. One example is UK-based Dark Math Games, which is working on a game called XXX Nightshift and consists of a subset of the original Disco Elysium development team. After their announcement, another new studio called Summer Eternal surfaced, co-founded by Argo Tuulik, who is known for his contributions to Disco Elysium’s worldbuilding. Additionally, Robert Kurvitz, the writer and designer behind Disco Elysium, has launched a studio named Red Info in collaboration with artist Aleksander Rostov.
Despite ongoing reports of internal disputes linked to multiple studios creating spiritual successors to Disco Elysium, many of the involved parties have reportedly resolved their legal challenges. This resolution allows these various teams to focus on developing their unique interpretations of the acclaimed isometric RPG that gained significant recognition upon its release in 2019. With many exciting projects on the horizon, the gaming community eagerly awaits the innovations these new studios will bring to the RPG landscape.