Noclip dropped the first episode of their Disco Elysium documentary on November 27, 2025, and it’s already challenging everything people thought they knew about the game’s origins. The five-part series features extensive interviews with Robert Kurvitz, Aleksander Rostov, and Helen Hindpere, the three creative leads who were fired from ZA/UM in October 2022 under murky circumstances. This marks the first time they’ve spoken publicly at length about the game’s development, the art collective that spawned it, and the messy fallout that turned one of gaming’s greatest success stories into one of its ugliest controversies.
Part one, titled Foundations, focuses on the years before Disco Elysium existed as a video game concept. It explores how a disorganized bunch of Estonian artists, searching for acknowledgment and financial stability, found strength in banding together. The documentary reveals that understanding Disco Elysium requires going back decades to Soviet-era Estonia, tabletop roleplaying sessions, and a struggling arts movement that operated out of squats and survived on passion rather than profit.
From Soviet Estonia to Gaming Masterpiece
Robert Kurvitz, the lead writer and designer of Disco Elysium, grew up in Estonia during the final years of Soviet occupation. The documentary explores how that background fundamentally shaped the game’s themes of political disillusionment, economic collapse, and societal decay. Kurvitz describes Estonia’s transition from serfdom to Soviet control, noting his great-grandmother couldn’t write and their people were essentially white slaves just two centuries ago.
This history permeates every inch of Disco Elysium’s fictional city of Revachol. The game’s obsession with failed political movements, revolutionary nostalgia, and the weight of history doesn’t come from abstract academic interest. It comes from growing up surrounded by the literal ruins of collapsed empires and abandoned ideologies. The gray concrete architecture, the sense of places that used to matter before the money left, the characters clinging to identities that history has moved past all reflect Kurvitz’s lived experience.
The documentary traces the origins of the Elysium universe back to Dungeons and Dragons campaigns Kurvitz ran with friends in the early 2000s. These weren’t casual gaming sessions. They were elaborate storytelling exercises where Kurvitz and collaborators like Martin Luiga built entire fictional worlds, complete with detailed histories, political systems, and cultural identities. The first campaign was called Maailma Sügis, and it established core elements of what would eventually become Disco Elysium’s setting.
Key development milestones that shaped the game:
- Early 2000s: First tabletop RPG campaigns establish the world of Elysium
- 2005-2013: The arts collective publishes work through various cultural journals and events
- Torson and McLaine campaign: The detective duo stories that directly inspired the cop show format
- 2016: First serious investor meetings begin, four-month concepting phase produces The Return pitch
- 2016: Team gets office space in Tallinn and begins actual game development
- 2019: Disco Elysium launches to critical acclaim and commercial success
- 2022: Creative leads fired from ZA/UM amid controversy
The Estonian Arts Collective Nobody Talks About
Before ZA/UM became a game studio, it was an Estonian arts collective. The documentary spends significant time exploring this period, which many retrospectives skip over entirely. Kurvitz, Rostov, and a group of like-minded artists created a cultural movement focused on publishing essays, comedic skits, paintings, photographs, and paper cuts through various journals and events.
They were all extremely poor. Kurvitz describes periods where he was so broke that basic survival became difficult. The collective operated out of places like Artemitep, a cultural center in a rough neighborhood known for drugs and boxing. Helen Hindpere admits she didn’t realize how uncommon their situation was at the time. It was just where they lived and worked, surrounded by financially deprived people in what amounted to dormitories for lowlifes.
This context matters enormously for understanding Disco Elysium’s aesthetic and themes. The game’s obsession with failure, poverty, addiction, and characters at the margins of society doesn’t come from tourism or research. It comes from the lived experience of artists who spent years operating at the edge of financial collapse, creating work because they had to rather than because it was profitable. The revolutionary nostalgia in Disco Elysium reflects people who believed art could change the world and then watched that belief get crushed by economic reality.
How a Cop Show Became the Game We Know
The Torson and McLaine tabletop campaign represents the direct precursor to Disco Elysium. Kurvitz ran this detective duo story set in Revachol, focusing heavily on the city itself rather than just using it as backdrop. Martin Luiga played one of the detectives, and the campaign established the 1970s aesthetic that defines the game’s visual language. Plastic telephones replaced steampunk elements. Communist ideology became central to the political landscape. The whole thing felt like a cop show, which created that specific vibe Disco Elysium captures so perfectly.
The documentary reveals that locations like Martinaise were created specifically for the video game, while other areas like Jamrock and the broader identity of Revachol had existed in the tabletop campaigns for years. This mix of established worldbuilding and new creation for the game medium explains why Disco Elysium’s setting feels so lived-in. It wasn’t invented for the game. It was refined and adapted from years of collaborative storytelling.
| Aspect | Origin | Impact on Game |
|---|---|---|
| Revachol City | Torson and McLaine campaigns | Established political identity and historical depth |
| Martinaise District | Created specifically for Disco Elysium | Main setting for the game’s story and exploration |
| Detective Format | Cop show feeling from tabletop sessions | Core gameplay loop of investigation and dialogue |
| Political Systems | Decades of worldbuilding across campaigns | Complex ideological choices and philosophical depth |
| Visual Aesthetic | 1970s look from evolved tabletop design | Distinctive retro-futuristic art style |
When the team finally secured investment in 2016, they spent four months on concept art. This phase included designing the Kineema, the iconic cop car that players use throughout the game. Aleksander Rostov worked on industrial design for Elysium, creating objects that felt authentic to the world’s unique technological and cultural development. The documentary shows how this concepting phase crystallized years of ideas into a cohesive visual and narrative pitch called The Return, essentially the concept that became Disco Elysium.
The Controversy Nobody Can Agree On
The documentary arrives as the definitive statement on what actually happened at ZA/UM, but the controversy remains messier than any single narrative can capture. In October 2022, Robert Kurvitz, Aleksander Rostov, and Helen Hindpere were fired from the studio. The circumstances and justifications depend entirely on who you ask, and the legal battles continue even now.
According to Kurvitz and Rostov, their firings were not voluntary. They claim ZA/UM actively forced them out after Estonian investor Ilmar Kompus acquired control of the company. The creative leads allege illegal actions were taken to seize control of the studio and Disco Elysium’s intellectual property. They point to corporate maneuvering, questionable share purchases, and what they describe as theft of the company they built.
ZA/UM’s leadership tells a different story. Official statements accuse Kurvitz and Rostov of creating a disruptive environment, showing limited to no engagement in their responsibilities, not working for almost two years, verbal abuse of colleagues, gender discrimination, and attempting to illegally sell the company’s intellectual property. The studio maintains the firings were justified based on misconduct and necessary to protect the rest of the team.
Anonymous employees speaking to various outlets describe the reality as somewhere between these extremes. Some corroborate claims about toxic behavior from the creative leads. Others express skepticism about the justifications and suggest financial motivations drove the decision. Legal proceedings began with executive producer Kaur Kender, Kurvitz’s longtime collaborator, but he dropped his lawsuit after Kompus paid back 4.8 million euros. Kurvitz and Rostov continue asserting their case and planning further legal action.
What Made Disco Elysium Special
Understanding the controversy requires acknowledging what made Disco Elysium extraordinary in the first place. The game launched in October 2019 to universal critical acclaim. It won four awards at The Game Awards that year, including Best Indie Game, Best Narrative, Best Role Playing Game, and Fresh Indie Game. It swept BAFTA’s games awards with three more trophies. Critics called it one of the best-written games ever made and a strong example of video games as an art form.
Financially, Disco Elysium made 6.7 million euros profit in its first six months. The game has now sold over 5 million copies across all platforms and remains hugely influential on indie RPG development. It proved that deeply literary, dialogue-heavy games with no combat could achieve mainstream commercial success while maintaining uncompromising artistic vision.
The game’s impact extends beyond sales. Disco Elysium demonstrated that video games could handle complex political philosophy, psychological depth, and literary prose without dumbing down for broader audiences. It inspired countless developers to take creative risks and trust that audiences exist for truly weird, personal, challenging work. The fact that this game came from broke Estonian artists working out of squats and cultural centers made the success story even more powerful.
Why This Documentary Matters Now
Noclip has been working on this documentary for years, conducting interviews and gathering materials long before announcing the project publicly. Director Danny O’Dwyer explained they wanted to ensure they told the story right, with as much detail and heart as possible. The goal is documenting the development with nuance rather than taking sides in the corporate battle.
Early reactions to part one suggest Noclip succeeded in that approach. The documentary lets Kurvitz, Rostov, and Hindpere tell their version of events while acknowledging competing narratives exist. It focuses heavily on the creative process, the artistic community that shaped these people, and the genuine passion that drove Disco Elysium’s creation. The extended interviews available to Noclip patrons reportedly provide even more depth and context.
For fans who love Disco Elysium, this documentary offers rare insight into how the game actually came together. For people following the ZA/UM controversy, it provides the most comprehensive statement yet from the fired creators. And for anyone interested in game development, it’s a case study in how decades of creative work in other mediums can culminate in a single revolutionary game.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes is the Noclip Disco Elysium documentary?
The Noclip Disco Elysium documentary is a five-part series. Part one titled Foundations released November 27, 2025 and focuses on the origins of the creative team and the world of Elysium. Subsequent episodes will cover building the studio, actual development, launch, and the aftermath. Noclip patrons get early access to episodes one week before public release.
Who are the main people interviewed in the documentary?
The documentary features extensive interviews with Robert Kurvitz (lead writer and designer), Aleksander Rostov (art director), and Helen Hindpere (writer). These three were the creative leads on Disco Elysium who were fired from ZA/UM in October 2022. This marks their most detailed public discussion of the game’s development and the controversy surrounding their departures.
What happened to Disco Elysium’s creators?
Robert Kurvitz, Aleksander Rostov, and Helen Hindpere were fired from ZA/UM in October 2022. The circumstances remain disputed, with the creators claiming they were illegally forced out after investor Ilmar Kompus acquired control, while ZA/UM accused them of misconduct including not working, verbal abuse, and attempting to steal intellectual property. Legal proceedings are ongoing.
How successful was Disco Elysium commercially?
Disco Elysium achieved remarkable commercial success, earning 6.7 million euros profit in its first six months after the October 2019 launch. The game has sold over 5 million copies across all platforms and won numerous awards including four at The Game Awards 2019. It’s regarded as one of the greatest video games ever made and remains hugely influential on indie RPG development.
Where did the world of Disco Elysium come from?
The world of Elysium originated from tabletop roleplaying campaigns that Robert Kurvitz ran with friends in the early 2000s. The Torson and McLaine detective campaign specifically established Revachol’s identity and the 1970s cop show aesthetic. The setting was refined through years of collaborative storytelling before being adapted into the video game, which explains why it feels so detailed and lived-in.
Was ZA/UM an arts collective before making games?
Yes, ZA/UM started as an Estonian arts collective in the 2000s before becoming a game studio. The group published essays, comedic skits, paintings, photographs, and other creative works through cultural journals and events. Members were extremely poor during this period, operating out of rough neighborhoods and cultural centers. This background heavily influenced Disco Elysium’s themes and aesthetic.
Will there be a Disco Elysium sequel?
The situation is complicated. ZA/UM owns the Disco Elysium intellectual property and has indicated plans for future projects in that universe. However, the creative leads who made the original game were fired and are no longer involved. Whether a sequel without Kurvitz, Rostov, and Hindpere can capture what made the original special remains a major question mark for fans.
Where can I watch the Disco Elysium documentary?
The Disco Elysium documentary is available on Noclip’s YouTube channel. Part one released publicly on November 27, 2025. Subsequent episodes release weekly for public viewers, while Noclip Patreon supporters and YouTube channel members get early access one week ahead of public release plus exclusive extended interview content and bonus scenes filmed in Estonia.
What Comes Next
Part one of Noclip’s documentary series sets the foundation, but four more episodes remain. Part two reportedly focuses on building the actual studio, showing how a selection of programmers, writers, musicians, and artists turned a dilapidated hippie squat in central Tallinn into the office that built Disco Elysium. Future episodes will likely cover the development process, launch success, and eventually address the 2022 firings and aftermath in detail.
For anyone who loves Disco Elysium, this documentary represents essential viewing. It provides context that deepens appreciation for what the game accomplished and helps understand why its creation story ended in such bitter conflict. The fact that something this beautiful and meaningful emerged from struggle, poverty, and genuine artistic passion makes its commercial success even more remarkable. And the fact that success led to corporate takeover and creative destruction makes the whole saga feel tragically appropriate for a game obsessed with failed revolutions and broken dreams.
The full documentary series will stand as the definitive record of how Disco Elysium came to be, told by the people who actually made it before they were forced out. Whether it provides closure or just raises more questions remains to be seen. But for now, we finally have the creators’ side of the story, in their own words, with all the complexity and contradiction that real history always contains.