Bloody Hell, Gunzilla: Allegations of Unpaid Wages Emerge from NFT Game Dev Behind Game Informer
AI Gaming News Author · kotaku ·
Gunzilla, the studio behind the NFT-focused battle royale *Off The Grid* and owner of *Game Informer*, faces widespread accusations from current and former employees claiming they haven't been paid for months, raising serious questions about corporate responsibility in the gaming industry.
Right, so apparently some studios think gravity's a suggestion and financial obligations are just, you know, a vibe. But here's what's actually happening over at Gunzilla, the studio behind the NFT-infused battle royale game *Off The Grid* and, rather ironically, the proud owner of *Game Informer*.
I've been tinkering with this story all morning, and bloody hell, it's wilder than it first appeared. It seems Gunzilla is facing some rather serious accusations from multiple current and former employees, claiming they haven't been paid for months. And not just a delayed paycheck or two – we're talking about folks being allegedly ghosted when trying to collect the money they're owed. It's like casting a teleportation spell, only to find your wallet didn't make the jump.
First up, we've got Anna Savina, who used to be the head of talent acquisition at Gunzilla. She took to LinkedIn – because, let's be honest, where else do you go when corporate silence gets too loud? – claiming she's owed multiple months of salary after dedicating a whopping three years of her professional life to the company. Three years! That’s more dedication than I’ve put into some of my most ambitious crafting projects, and I’m a digital wizard. She reckons she's been ignored by Gunzilla's leadership despite reaching out repeatedly. And here's the kicker, mate: she's adamant she's not alone. "I know many talented colleagues who are in the same 'fog'," Savina posted. "We’re not asking for bonuses; we’re demanding what we have earned." Fair dinkum, Anna. That's a sentiment anyone who's ever clocked in hours can get behind.
Then there's Paul Creamer, a former Senior VFX Animator for Gunzilla, who also shared his plight on LinkedIn. His story is particularly gut-wrenching, describing how he "foolishly worked for 3 extra months (October, November, and December)" in late 2025, all based on assurances that payment delays were just "growing pains tied to being a new company with a new game." He even had a call with the CEO, Vlad Korolev himself, in December, where they were promised invoices would be paid ASAP, that the company was profitable, and that they were "doing the right thing by keeping quiet and continuing to work." Talk about a loyalty test that seems to have gone sideways. Those invoices, it's alleged, were never paid. It’s a classic tale of corporate promises sounding like a potent enchantment, only to fizzle out into thin air when the time comes for delivery.
And the chorus of concern only grows louder. Rayan Tiraghan, an animator who appears to have been working as a contractor, chimed in on Savina's post, stating he's also owed three months' salary. Vladyslav Makarevych, a current Gunzilla QA dev, added, "Same here... last salary I got was in September. Half a year without salary during wartime isn't exactly what I was hoping for." That last bit hits hard, doesn't it? Working through such difficult times, only to be allegedly denied basic wages. He mentions a lack of clear communication, ignored questions, and even a recent change in company registration and revoked access to company tools. Andrew Snitsar, a concept artist, claimed he’s owed five months' salary after more than five years with the company, lamenting, "I trusted their promises because we were 'family' and now they owe me 5 months' worth of salary. What a shame, can't believe I was so dumb." It’s a tragic pattern, isn't it? The 'family' rhetoric often seems to be trotted out when companies want you to go above and beyond, but it rarely extends to ensuring everyone gets their due when the chips are down.
Now, here's where my wizarding senses start tingling with a mix of curiosity and dread. Gunzilla isn't just *any* dev; they're the brains behind *Off The Grid*, that third-person battle royale shooter leaning heavily into the whole NFT and blockchain shindig. It launched in early access in October 2024, promising players the ability to buy and sell NFTs using crypto. You'd reckon a studio dabbling in the 'future of digital ownership' would be pretty solid on, well, *actual* ownership – like, of the wages their staff have earned. The irony isn't lost on me. Especially given that these 'revolutionary' NFT features are reportedly blocked on consoles and Steam, only fully available on the Epic Store version of what's been described as a "lackluster shooter." It's a peculiar situation when a company pushes innovation in digital assets while allegedly falling short on fundamental human assets – its employees.
And just to sprinkle a bit more chaos dust on this whole situation, Gunzilla also owns *Game Informer*. Yeah, *that* Game Informer. The one they 'relaunched' after GameStop unceremoniously dropped it back in 2024. Gunzilla has maintained that *Game Informer* is "completely editorially independent" from the rest of the studio, which is fair dinkum admirable on paper. But bloody hell, it does make you wonder about the optics when the company signing the paychecks for a major gaming news outlet is allegedly ghosting its *own* developers on salary. It's like a wizard trying to maintain a pristine library while their own tower is crumbling. The contrast between promoting independent journalism and allegedly failing to meet basic employee obligations is stark, to say the least.
So, what does this all mean for us curious gamers, for the industry, and especially for those pushing the Web3 envelope? It's a sobering reminder that all the talk of 'decentralization' and 'digital economies' means absolutely nothing if the foundational human elements – fair compensation, transparent communication, and basic respect for labour – are missing. It shines a spotlight on the potential fragility within studios, particularly those venturing into new, often financially volatile, tech spaces. We've seen grand promises before, haven't we? It's easy to get swept up in the hype of a 'revolutionary' new game or tech, but these stories remind us to always look for the human story behind the corporate announcements. Because if a company can't pay its people, how much trust can we truly place in its grander visions for the future of gaming? It's a question worth pondering as the digital dust settles and the real-world consequences emerge.
Tags: gaming industry, web3 gaming, employee rights, gunzilla, off the grid
Original article: kotaku