WhileDisco Elysiumis already portable on platforms like theNintendo SwitchandSteam Deck, a new full “re-imagining” of the project has now been revealed for mobile platforms.
Many recent announcements fromZA/UM, the “original” creators ofDisco Elysium, have left fans with a sour taste in their mouths.Despite owning the rights to one of thegreatest CRPGsof recent years, thecompany now lacksmany original team members behind their most popular game.
Recent announcements, such as one for ZA/UM’s upcoming gameProject C4,have thus been met with player scrutiny. After claiming in an announcement that, “we brought youDisco Elysium,” many fans retorted in the comments that the actual team behindDisco Elysiumis long gone.
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Additionally, past team members hoping to keep the spirit of the original haveannounced three separateDisco-inspired projects divided by three separate teams, hammering home that the geniuses behindDiscoare now fragments of their former self.
Given all of this, it’s no wonder that ZA/UM’s latest announcement of aDisco Elysium mobile port, which will be released on the Google Play store in summer 2025, has led to mass confusion.
Despite appearing as an arguably okay-looking port, fans and critics alike have thoroughly chastised ZA/UM for repurposing their most outstanding work and comparing it to short-form content like TikTok.
Mobile ports of massive indie games are often a route to success, with games likeBalatrohaving wildly successful transitions tomobile platforms. In porting games to mobile, an entirely new audience gets their hands on experiences previously relegated to Consoles and PC.
Why Bring Disco Elysium To Mobile?
In a recent releaseshared through IGN, the studio’s head, Denis Havel, stated that the mobile port ofDisco Elysiumwas created for a very similar reason to these other mobile ports.
We intend to captivate the TikTok user with quick hits of compelling story, art, and audio, ultimately creating an all new, deeply engaging form of entertainment.
To be fair, the game’s mobile port looks like a well-crafted “total re-imagination” of the game, with full character portraits and entirely new systems intended to give the mobile experience its own spin onDisco’s fantasticdetective mystery.
Nonetheless, with the studio head saying that this new port was intended to attract TikTok users and the recent discrepancies within ZA/UM’s own studio,your average Disco fan is hardly excited, especially about a franklyunnecessary mobileport.
Disco Elysiumis best known for its lengthy anddetailed story. In it, the player makes constant decisions within a winding narrative filled with hours of voice acting and dialogue.In all honesty, that doesn’t sound like the best game to translate to mobile.
Games with the most successful mobile ports, such as the previously mentionedBalatroand others likeRoblox,Mario Kart Tour, andBloons TD6, all have gameplay loops that are basic enough to be experienced within a play session of a few minutes.
It’s hard to imagine lengthyDiscosegments like the investigation of the body and long theoretical discussions with characters like Tommy Le Homme within a small mobile session. Andwith the new build advertised as “optimized for short play sessions,” it leaves many of us wondering what was changed, and even worse, what was potentially cut.
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Deep discussions are such a crucial part of the game that it’s hard to imagine them keeping the same charm while reducing the game for this new platform.Fans seem to be in massive agreement, with typical comments asking if this is “an out-of-season April Fools joke.”
More importantly, with most fans now not considering ZA/UM the“true” creatorsofDisco Elysium, most commenters remark how this port is almost an unfaithful re-imagining, from the hands of the company thattore the IPaway from those behind it.
That said, ZA/UM doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, and whether these upcoming titles are authentic and worthy of being created under ZA/UM is still up for debate.
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