"We are here to give you something to believe in": the former Disco Elysium devs of Summer Eternal reveal new RPG Red Rooster, a game of fire, water and alterna

Summer Eternal, the former *Disco Elysium* developers’ worker co-operative, has shared a 500-page anthology outlining their new game *Red Rooster*, a 3D, real-time, third-person RPG built in Unreal Engine. The game is set in Arta-Trantor, a magic realist river city divided by fire and water, where players control Redrick Roost, a convict tasked with solving a mystery within a week to secure parole. The city’s design emphasizes a physics-powered sandbox, allowing players to manipulate and burn objects, reflecting its volatile atmosphere.

The game’s protagonist, Redrick Roost, is serving a life sentence after an experimental headset caused mass mental fracturing, leaving thousands catatonic. His inner world, the Coop, is a hallucinatory space modeled after a vacuum shop, housing alternate selves called Roosters who influence dialogue and abilities. Players must manage these Roosters, who may form factions or hijack Redrick’s persona, with repression mechanics tied to dice-driven encounters and potential outcomes.

Redrick’s companion, Dr. Astrid Albers, is a mathematician whose relationship with mathematics has deteriorated amid a city-wide heatwave. Her backstory includes an opiate addiction, a controlling father, and a state-mandated rehabilitation program. The game’s lore bible describes Arta-Trantor as a city of three nested territories shaped by war and exploitation, with factions including armed game wardens, a fire service with historical ties to slavery, and a redacted psionic organization.

The anthology also serves as a manifesto for Summer Eternal, detailing their anti-capitalist and Marxist principles, including critiques of venture capitalism and generative AI. The studio’s funding model divides shares among creatives, investors, and fans, with *Red Rooster* currently in early pre-production and projected to release in 3-4 years if funding is secured. The book includes interviews with developers, economists, and union organizers, emphasizing the studio’s commitment to worker and artist-driven development.