ZA/UM, the studio famously behind Disco Elysium, has announced a new title at Gamescom 2025.

On the 19th (local time), ZA/UM unveiled their latest project, Zero Parades, during Gamescom 2025 Opening Night Live, and simultaneously launched its Steam store page.

According to the Steam page, the game is an espionage CRPG that blends the depth of a spy novel with surrealist aesthetics and multi-dimensional characters. The protagonist is Herschel Wilk, a genius yet washed-up intelligence agent still haunted by a failure from five years prior. Forced into a mysterious new mission, Herschel is described as a loose cannon who poses as much danger to allies as to enemies, navigating a brutal world through sheer improvisation.

The world of Zero Parades is defined by a three-way struggle for cultural and ideological dominance. While comrades can be useful, a spy lives by their own rules. The player must navigate this world alone, scrutinizing the motives, beliefs, and secrets of countless NPCs to carve out an advantage. ZA/UM describes the title as a narrative-rich spy RPG.

Failure is an inevitable part of the investigative process. When things go sideways, a cascade of unpredictable events follows, demanding that the player improvise to overcome setbacks. Furthermore, the game challenges the player to explore various ways to maintain Herschel’s identity while confronting the terrors of reality.

It is worth noting that ZA/UM experienced significant internal turbulence in 2022 due to disputes between key developers and investors. During that period, lead designer Robert Kurvitz, followed by Aleksander Rostov and Helen Hindpere, departed from the studio.