Zero Parades Writer Hopes ZA/UM ‘Never Becomes a AAA Studio’

Developer ZA/UM may have had a significant hit with 2019’s Disco Elysium, but it remains a reasonably small studio. And, at least as far as writer and VO director Jim Ashilevi is concerned, that’s how things should remain.

“I hope we’ll never become a triple-A studio,” he said during a recent interview with IGN.

ZA/UM currently employs just under 100 members of staff, many of whom work remotely from different places across the world. Its has offices in Tallinn, Estonia; London, UK; and Porto, Portugal, and the company remains independently owned. While this is admittedly a bigger outfit than many indie developers enjoy, it’s still small-scale. And that’s how Ashilevi likes it.

“I think we’re always deeply encouraged and inspired by the indie scene because that’s where the fresh ideas come from,” he said. “The avant-garde stuff always happens on the fringes, and I hope we’ll never become a triple-A studio. Honestly, even if Zero Parades sells four billion copies, I hope we are wise enough to stay true to our core sensibilities and values as artists and storytellers.”

As part of that conversation, Ashilevi offered his assessment of the gaming landscape. “I think it’s grim out there,” he said. “I think the industry is in a really rough place. We all know that. But I don’t think the industry is in a rough place creatively. I think, in a way, it’s better than ever. It’s better than ever before because anyone can make a game that touches the hearts of hundreds of millions of people.”

The comment came in reference to the success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which, while developed on a much higher budget than any of ZA/UM’s projects, was 2025’s demonstration that there’s an enormous appetite for single-player, story-led games produced outside of the mega-publishers’ circles.

“I think the industry has become less gatekeep-y in a way,” he said. “But that also presents another problem, which is how do you even begin to promote your game, or make sure that it actually finds its audience? I think really the only thing you can control is whether you’re staying true to your own vision and your own voice.”

As we explored earlier this week, that vision has been ZA/UM’s “North Star” when it comes to Zero Parades. “For that reason, I’m already really proud and happy with what we’ve done,” says Ashilevi. “It’s like the response coming from the players – which will hopefully be positive, mostly positive – is almost just a bonus at this point. The real value I got out of it as a storyteller was just getting to know my friends and colleagues a little better and getting to know more about what goes on in their hearts and minds and souls.”

For more from ZA/UM, check out the studio’s stance on using AI, and why its new RPG resembles Disco Elysium so closely. And if you’re interested in playing Zero Parades, a free demo will be available as part of Steam Next Fest.

Matt Purslow is IGN’s Executive Editor of Features.