Unofficial Disco Elysium 2 lands a Grammy nominated music composer

This is just one of several games claiming to be the successor to Disco Elysium (Dark Math Games)

Pre-orders are live for one of several Disco Elysium successors, with XXX Nightshift set to feature music from a much-revered music producer.

The post-launch saga of Disco Elysium and developer ZA/UM is too long and complex to sum up in a single paragraph… or book. What we can say is that it led to several key figures behind Disco Elysium leaving the studio and although a sequel was teased, it was ultimately cancelled.

It was a tragedy given how much Disco Elysium redefined how role-playing games could work, but its spirit is set to live on. No less than four separate studios have been set up by different ZA/UM veterans, with three of them being announced at the exact same time last October.

One of them, the London based Dark Math Games, has announced that it’s recruited Grammy nominated music producer and songwriter John Cunningham for its debut project, XXX Nightshift.

If you’re not familiar with Cunningham’s name, you’ve likely heard his work before, as he’s collaborated with several big-name musicians, including Miley Cyrus, Kanye West, and the late rapper XXXTentacion.

Music is set to be an important aspect of XXX Nightshift, as Dark Math Games promises that choices you make will impact the game’s soundscape. While it’s unclear exactly what sort of music you can expect from XXX Nightshift, Cunningham is set to helm the soundtrack’s creation.

‘I’m super curious and excited to be a part of XXX Nightshift, where the world has evolved so much, and our understanding of music and personalisation has evolved alongside it,’ says Cunningham, referring to how the game seems to be set in our world but in the distant future of 2086.

‘How is music created, listened to, shared, and loved in this world? And most importantly, how can I impart the feeling upon the player that we are all artists in our own right?’

Dark Math Games founder and art director Timo Albert, who served as a motion graphic designer on Disco Elysium, adds: ‘John’s innovative approach matches our energy perfectly. He knows how to get the best out of every artist, and we’re thrilled to have him as a hands-on collaborator with the development team. He’s taking the lead on sound and music with his signature style – players are in for something unforgettable.’

If this is enough to get you excited for XXX Nightshift, you’ll be pleased to know pre-orders are now available via Dark Math Games’ website. There’s no mention of a release date but for £49.99 the studio is also including invites to closed alpha and beta test builds, ahead of the game’s launch, and access to an exclusive Discord channel.

A more expensive pre-order offers all that and more, including a free soundtrack, in-game extras, and your name inscribed somewhere in the game for £74.99.

Who else is making a Disco Elysium successor?

In 2023, Disco Elysium’s design lead and writer Robert Kurvitz and art director Aleksander Rostov founded Red Info, a new studio based in East Sussex, to make a spiritual successor.

Elsewhere, you have Longdue in London, which is comprised of not just former ZA/UM staff but also people from other studios such as Bungie and Rockstar Games. It is crowdfunding for its psychological role-playing game Hopetown.

Lastly is Summer Eternal, which is being led by Argo Tuulik and Olga Moskvina, who were also writers on Disco Elysium. Their studio is planning its own single-player role-playing game and describes itself as a worker owned art collective.

Described as a true detective role-playing game, XXX Nightshift has you stranded at a ski resort in Antarctica ‘with unforgettable guests, wild parties, and mad secrets.’

One look at screenshots and the trailer makes it very evident the game’s trying to replicate Disco Elysium’s look and feel, with promises of ‘seismic choices’ that impact the story. One unique addition though, is the option to enlist a companion to aid you in mystery solving.

In Disco Elysium, you were mostly joined at the hip by Kim Kitsuragi, but it sounds like XXX Nightshift will offer multiple options for companions as well as the ability to do things solo.

Are you already invested in what XXX Nightshift is offering? (Dark Math Games)

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