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What Is Project C4? ZA/UM’s ZERO PARADES and Its Connection to Disco Elysium

Project C4 was the codename for ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies, a new espionage RPG from the studio behind Disco Elysium—not a direct sequel.
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Project C4 was the codename for ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies, ZA/UM’s narrative-first espionage RPG. It shares the studio lineage and narrative-RPG ambitions that invite comparisons with Disco Elysium, but it has an original setting and is not established as a direct sequel or a game set in Elysium.

What is Project C4?

Project C4 became ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies, ZA/UM’s next RPG after Disco Elysium. In the studio’s announcement, Marketing Director Sven Paluch described it as “a narrative-first espionage RPG steeped in paranoia, surrealism, and a struggle for redemption.” The player character is Hershel, an “operant”—the game’s term for a spy—in a world where trust is scarce and betrayal is common.

ZA/UM presents the game as part of a cRPG lineage that includes Disco Elysium, Baldur’s Gate, and Pillars of Eternity. That signals the kind of role-playing experience the studio wants players to associate with it; it does not mean the games share a world or continuity. ZA/UM’s September 2025 gameplay overview introduces the premise and the studio’s announced encounter system.

Is Project C4 Disco Elysium 2?

No. ZA/UM describes ZERO PARADES as having an original setting, not as a continuation of Elysium’s story. Calling it “Disco Elysium 2” would overstate what the studio has announced. The more accurate description is a spiritual or design successor: a new RPG from the same studio, with narrative emphasis and cRPG influences that make comparison natural.

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The differences begin with the premise. Disco Elysium centers on detective role-playing; ZERO PARADES follows a spy through an espionage story shaped by paranoia, betrayal, and redemption. The studio’s announcement supports a comparison of ambition and genre lineage, not a prediction that the games will feel identical or that one will be better.

How do ZERO PARADES’ Dramatic Encounters work?

ZA/UM’s announced signature feature is called Dramatic Encounters. In these scenes, time stands still while the player chooses how Hershel responds to a dangerous situation. Attribute-influenced dice rolls help determine what happens, and failure advances the sequence rather than simply ending it. That is the studio’s description of the feature; it is not, by itself, an independent assessment of how the full game plays.

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How much of the Disco Elysium team is involved?

There is some reported creative continuity, but the available staffing details do not establish that the original Disco Elysium team as a whole made ZERO PARADES. PC Gamer’s 2025 preview reported that writer Siim Sinamäe and editor and Final Cut writer Justin Keenan were among staff associated with Disco Elysium who remained involved. Treat that as a dated report about named contributors, not a claim about the full development team.

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When did ZERO PARADES release, and where can you play it?

ZA/UM’s Steam publisher listing shows ZERO PARADES: Director’s Cut with a May 21, 2026 release date. Check ZA/UM’s Steam publisher page for the current listing; storefront availability and edition details can change.

In a March 31, 2026 report, PC Gamer named Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG for the PC launch, and said a PS5 version was planned to follow later in 2026. The PS5 timing is a reported plan, not a confirmed release date. The same report described English voice acting and English, German, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Latin American Spanish text as planned for launch. Studio head Allen Murray said additional French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Traditional Chinese, and Turkish localization would roll out during 2026 and 2027. These are dated plans rather than a guarantee of the current language or platform lineup; check the live store pages for availability. PC Gamer’s March 2026 report covers those launch plans.

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