author: Michael Zegar
Disco Elysium 2 on Unreal Engine 5? ZA/UM is Recruiting
Job announcements posted by ZA/UM may herald that the developer is currently working on a sequel to Disco Elysium. The new game will most likely run on Unreal Engine 5.
Independent studio ZA/UM - known for the award-winning Disco Elysium - has posted several job announcements on its website, revealing what its next project might be.
Unreal Engine 5
On March 10, an announcement appeared on the studio's website, describing the position of technical artist. It included such requirements as:
- Knowledge of Unreal Engine - will be needed to work with its fifth edition.
- experience with cel-shading.
Knowledge of PBR texturing techniques and familiarity with Houdini Engine tools are also welcome.
What does it mean?
Disco Elysium was created using the Unity engine, and the visuals adopted the cel-shading style cited above.
Last March, the game's head writer admitted that the continuation of the bestseller is almost certain. It is therefore likely that the sequel will be powered by the Unreal Engine 5 technology.
Hard Surface Artist
Today, further announcements have been made. One of them concerns the job of a hard surface artist (the kind made by man; mostly machinery). The description reads:
"We are looking for a well-rounded and experienced Hard Surface Artist to join our small team of artists and designers to design and craft imaginative yet convincing vehicles and machinery. (...).
You will be designing all manner of vehicles and machinery from initial thumbnail sketches through to finished 2D/3D concept art or game-ready assets."
- This position requires knowledge of how the various pieces of machinery work and how these rules can be logically applied to "fictional vehicles".
- Also this point mentiones familiarity with Unreal Engine and Unity technologies.
What does this mean?
Universe of Disco Elysium can be placed under a mix of urban fantasy and science fiction. The action takes place in a large metropolis, filled with mechanisms and technology not from this world.
The search for a person who would deal exclusively with this area seems to only confirm the supposition that the studio's next project is the continuation of Disco Elysium - or a new brand, but in many ways reminiscent of the studio's aforementioned magnum opus.
- It's worth noting that the March 10 announcement stated that the studio at the time consisted of about 40 employees. Today's announcement, on the other hand, mentions 50 members - so over the course of a month plus or minus 10 people have joined ZA/UM.
- Unreal Engine 5 is the latest installment of the engine developed by Epic Games. Recently, CD Projekt RED has declared that it will be used in the work of the next instalment of The Witcher. And yesterday we wrote about the photorealistic setting that it is able to generate, on the example of the new tech demo.
