Disco Elysium game director Robert Kurvitz and art director Aleksander Rostov have published an explosive open letter to fans detailing their ousting from ZA/UM, the game's development studio.
Most eye-opening is the claim ZA/UM's new majority shareholder, an Estonian firm named Tütreke OÜ, allegedly obtained control of the company through fraud. Tütreke OÜ is a "vehicle" for two Estonian businessmen, the pair wrote, namely Ilmar Kompus (now ZA/UM's CEO) and Tõnis Haavel (who was previously "convicted for defrauding investors on a different matter in 2007").
At the same time, ZA/UM CEO Kompus has published, via Estonian newspaper Ekspress, allegations of mismanagement by Kurvitz and a previous minority shareholder of the company, Saandar Taal. The pair are accused of "belittling women and co-workers" and creating a "toxic environment". Kompus also states the pair had been "intending to steal IP" - namely, Disco Elysium - with an eye to departing the studio and working elsewhere.