Hidden Variable sues Skullgirls publisher Autumn Games for $1.2m in unpaid payments
Hidden Variable has announced that as of January 21, 2025, it was “no longer involved in the development on Skullgirls Mobile, 2nd Encore” due to a “dispute with Autumn Games.”
In a statement, Hidden Variable said the dispute had now been formally lodged with the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Court papers intimated Hidden Variables is suing Autumn Games for alleged breach of contract and anticipatory breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and for goods and services rendered.
Hidden Variables believes it has satisfied the demands of its contract, but Autumn has not, withholding a $131,500 payment expected in November 2024, then again on November 15, December 1, December 15, January 1, and January 15, as well as around $15,000 in expenses.
$139,000 was also anticipated on February 1 and again on February 15, March 1, and March 15, 2025.
Hidden Variables is now suing for the $1,227,308.98 it says it is owed, as well as interest.
HVS said it gave Autumn Games until January 21, 2025, to settle its payments. When the payments did not come, however, Hidden Variables “provided Autumn with all of the account login information required to continue providing community support for the game […] so as not to cause damage to the game.”
“All of us at HVS are incredibly proud of the 10+ years we’ve invested in Skullgirls in all its forms, including creating and supporting Skullgirls Mobile, bringing new characters and platforms to Skullgirls 2nd Encore, supporting the competitive community via the Skullgirls Championship Series, and helping fans new and old fall in love with the IP through the Skullgirls Webtoon and countless other partnerships,” the statement said.
“Most of all, we’re grateful to have been able to celebrate and support the incomparable Skullgirls community – many of whom we’ve been fortunate to meet in person over the years at various events.”
The team then said it would not be able to comment further on the matter until the dispute was resolved.
In response, Autumn Games’ Jason Donnell said: “First and foremost, I want to acknowledge the concerns surrounding recent announcements. Skullgirls has always been more than just a game – it’s a passion project, a living work of art, and a world shaped by the love of its creators and players alike.”
After thanking players for supporting the game, the statement acknowledged Autumn Games had “not been delivering on our promise to” fans, which is “why we are making changes now.”
“We are not a massive corporation stepping in to take over; we are game developers, storytellers, and passionate fans, just like you,” Autumn Games added.
Although the statement made no explicit mention of Hidden Variables, Autumn’s statement did confirm it would be launching Guilds later this year, saying the feature was “now actually in development since [Autumn] have taken over in the last few months.”
