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Lawsuit against ZA/UM majority shareholder withdrawn

Studio says Kaur Kender's case against it will not move forward in Estonian courts

ZA/UM partner and Disco Elysium producer Kaur Kender has withdrawn a lawsuit against Tütreke, the company's majority shareholder.

News of Kender's lawsuit surfaced last month, claiming that ZA/UM CEO Ilmar Kompus had "cheated" him out of €1 million as part of a larger plot to acquire control of the studio.

ZA/UM tells GamesIndustry.biz that Kender's claims will not move forward in Estonia courts, and provided a statement from Kompus. The studio could not provide a reason for Kender's withdrawal.

"The facts and the law led to this outcome," Kompus says. "We are pleased that Kender and his attorneys have chosen to withdraw their lawsuit – one that should never have been filed in the first place. Their decision affirms there was no basis for their accusations and that I have acted appropriately and responsibly, as underscored by the corporate records I provided."

The case is tied to several allegations made by Kender and ZA/UM shareholders Robert Kurvitz and Alexander Rostov, two Disco Elysium creators that were allegedly forced out of the company last year.

The trio made claims that Tütreke, a shell company operated by Kompus, was used as a "vehicle" for the CEO to "illegally" acquire the majority stake in ZA/UM.

They accused Kompus of purchasing concept art for a Disco Elysium sequel via Tütreke, four sketches were allegedly bought for €1 and then re-sold to ZA/UM for €4.8 million, paid for with cash reserved for the studio and the new project.

Kurvitz also filed a lawsuit in Estonia against ZA/UM via his own separate company, Telomer. A court date for the case was set for November 28, but ZA/UM was unable to provide an update on the suit's progression.

Update: The Estonian Ekspress reports that Kompus and Tütreke has paid the €4.8 million back to ZA/UM.

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Danielle Partis

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Danielle is a multi award-winning journalist and editor that joined GamesIndustry.biz in 2021. She previously served as editor at PocketGamer.biz, and is also a co-founder of games outlet Overlode.