Hidden Variable has officially stepped away from Skullgirls, citing a legal dispute with publisher Autumn Games. The studio announced on Bluesky that it is no longer involved in any development of the franchise, and the issue is now in litigation, filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Due to the ongoing legal case, Hidden Variable cannot comment further.
The exact details of the dispute remain unclear, but legal documents found on Trellis suggest it may be over missed payments. Hidden Variable claims Autumn Games has failed to pay them multiple times since November, with the total amount owed reaching $1.23 million.
Despite this, Autumn Games has reportedly assured fans that Skullgirls will continue to receive updates. However, there’s no word on which games will be updated or when players can expect new content.
Hidden Variable’s full statement on Skullgirls:
“As of January 21st, 2025, Hidden Variable is no longer involved in the development of Skullgirls Mobile, 2nd Encore, or other Skullgirls IP-related efforts due to a dispute with Autumn Games, which is now the subject of litigation filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. In light of that, we hope you understand that—beyond this statement—we will not be commenting further until this dispute is resolved.”
“All of us at HVS are incredibly proud of the 10+ years we’ve invested in game 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 Championship Series, and helping fans new and old fall in love with the IP through the Webtoon and countless other partnerships.”
“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.”
“Thank you all for everything—you deserve nothing but the best.”
This isn’t the first time Skullgirls has faced turmoil. The original developers were removed from the project by Autumn Games following allegations against studio head Mike Zaimont. Now, with Hidden Variable out, the future of the game remains uncertain.
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