Gunzilla CEO Responds to Payment Delay Accusations Surrounding Web3 Battle Royale Off The Grid
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Gunzilla Games CEO Vlad Korolev has pushed back against former employees' accusations of prolonged payment delays on the Web3 battle royale game Off The Grid, defending the studio's cash flow management and development pace.
Gunzilla Games CEO Vlad Korolev has addressed mounting public criticism from former employees who accused the studio of serious payment delays. The controversy surfaced when several ex-workers, including former animator Paul Creamer and talent acquisition lead Anna Savina, took to LinkedIn to claim they went months without proper compensation while working on the studio's flagship Web3 battle royale title, Off The Grid. Creamer specifically alleged that he had not been paid since October 2025, adding that management repeatedly assured staff that the financial hurdles would soon be resolved.
In a detailed statement shared on social media, Korolev dismissed the allegations as coordinated attacks from critics aiming to farm views at the expense of the studio. He defended the grueling development cycle, comparing the independent studio's six-year push to the scale of massive franchises like Call of Duty while openly acknowledging that the team has never operated under traditional work-life balance standards. While pushing back against the general narrative, Korolev confirmed that some payments were scheduled around company cash flow rather than individual convenience, though he insisted that full-time salaries have never been delayed by more than a week across the studio's six-year history.
The response draws a clear distinction between official full-time staff and freelance contractors, leaving lingering questions about how external contributors were treated during the company's cost-cutting measures. Korolev concluded his statement by pointing to recent external milestones, including recognition from business publications, as proof of the game's ongoing momentum in the cross-platform space. For a detailed breakdown of the original statements and ongoing industry discussions, read the full report on Rock Paper Shotgun.
As digital economies and blockchain-integrated titles continue to carve out space alongside traditional releases, labor practices and developer compensation remain critical focal points for the gaming community. Players invested in virtual ecosystems watch these studio developments closely, recognizing that sustainable production models are just as important as the live-service updates and battle passes shaping modern play across PC, console, and cloud platforms.
Tags: Off The Grid, Gunzilla Games, Web3 Gaming, Industry News, Development Crunch
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun