Summer Eternal

Summer Eternal
IndustryVideo games
Founded2024
Founders
  • Argo Tuulik
  • Dora Klindžić
  • Aleksandar Gavrilović
  • Andrus Laansalu
HeadquartersZagreb, Croatia
Websitehttps://summereternal.com/

Summer Eternal is a video game developer based in Zagreb, Croatia. It was co-founded in 2024 by Argo Tuulik and Dora Klindžić, former employees of the Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM, as well as Aleksandar Gavrilović, owner of independent game studio Gamechuck. As of 2026, several former ZA/UM staff members collaborate with Summer Eternal, including writer Olga Moskvina, concept artist Anastasia Ivanova, graphic designer Michael Oswell, audio designer/writer Andrus Laansalu, and programmer Jaagup Irve (credited as author.)

History

Summer Eternal was first publicly revealed on 11 October 2024, and is one of several studios founded by former ZA/UM staff following the release of Disco Elysium. Its first press release included the founding members' manifesto and a breakdown of the studio's worker-run structure.

In September 2025, the studio announced the title of its first role-playing video game, Red Rooster, with more information to be revealed in their first anthology. Summer Eternal Anthology Volume One was released worldwide on 14 October 2026. On the same day, they officially revealed Red Rooster for the first time to a public audience, labeling it an incendiary role-playing game.

Organization

Summer Eternal is organized as a cooperative; creatives have a 50% stake in the company, collaborators 25%, investors 20%, and players 5%. The 5% "player owned" stake is formally held by a non-profit organization. Registered players can assist in the organization and investments of the studio, but do not receive any share in company profits.

Releases

In October 2026 Summer Eternal released the book, Summer Eternal Anthology Volume One in partnership with Tabletop role-playing game publisher Peregrine Coast Press, the release showcased art and information related to the studios upcoming game, Red Rooster, as well as interviews, such as with Marxist economists Richard D. Wolff, Yanis Varoufakis, science fiction author Ted Chiang and various game developers, including former BioWare developer David Gaider. Alongside the Anthologies limited edition run was a 10-inch Vinyl record featuring music from Electronic/Industrial artists Corvad and Nemeček, with two of the tracks, 'Flux Core' and 'Pyrocene', being both written for the world of Red Rooster, the covering included artwork from digital artist Schmrgl.

References

  1. 1 2 Litchfield, Ted (25 September 2026). "Experimental RPG developer Summer Eternal: 'We're giving away 5% of our studio to you, the Players' in order to 'mend the trust broken in this industry a thousand times over'". PC Gamer. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
  2. ↑ "Aleksandar Gavrilovic". Free and Open source Software Developers' European Meeting. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
  3. 1 2 Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (11 October 2024). "Sure, why not - third group of former Disco Elysium devs announce "revolutionary new RPG studio"". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
  4. ↑ Carter, Justin (11 October 2024). "Disco Elysium writer launches third splinter dev, Summer Eternal". Game Developer. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
  5. ↑ "Summer Eternal Anthology Volume One". Zagreb Design Week 2026. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  6. ↑ Raknic, Damjan (16 April 2026). "Umjetnički kolektiv iz Zagreba pobunio se protiv gejming establišmenta te radi na svojem prvom naslovu" [The art collective from Zagreb rebelled against the gaming establishment and is working on its first title] (in Croatian). Jutarnji list. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  7. ↑ "Disco Elysium - Credits". Internet Game Database. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  8. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (11 October 2024). "This is the Disco Elysium successor to get excited about: Multiple writers from the original announce a manifesto to create an RPG 'with complexity and ambition to rival our wretched and wonderful world'". PC Gamer. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
  9. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (19 November 2024). "The Wild Story Behind Disco Elysium's Spiritual Successors: Allegations, Legal Threats, and a USB Stick". IGN. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
  10. ↑ Carpenter, Nicole (18 October 2024). "The many studios looking to continue Disco Elysium's legacy". Polygon. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
  11. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (30 September 2025). "Summer Eternal, one of the most exciting studios to come out of the Disco Elysium fallout, will announce its first game exclusively through 'the analog medium' of a vinyl record and a book of art, essays, and dev diaries". PC Gamer. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
  12. 1 2 Peppiatt, Dom (14 October 2026). "Ex-ZA/UM developers reveal Red Rooster, a part-immersive sim, part-"incendiary RPG" that is very intentionally not trying to be a "Disco Elysium successor" or "Disco-like"". Eurogamer. Retrieved 17 October 2026.
  13. ↑ Grayson, Nathan (30 October 2024). "Former Disco Elysium Devs Embrace Worker/Player-Owned Structure To Bring 'True Democracy' To Game Development". Aftermath. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
  14. ↑ Corvad. "Summer Eternal - Anthology Volume One". Bandcamp. Retrieved 25 October 2026.
  15. ↑ "SUMMER ETERNAL Anthology". Summer Eternal. Retrieved 25 October 2026.