Skullgirls Developer Hidden Variable Halts Work Amid Dispute with Publisher Autumn Games

Hidden Variable, the studio behind the Skullgirls franchise, has officially announced that it will no longer be involved in any development efforts related to Skullgirls. In a statement released on Bluesky, the developer confirmed that a legal dispute with publisher Autumn Games has led to this decision, and the matter is now in litigation at the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

According to documents available on Trellis, Hidden Variable is alleging that Autumn Games failed to make multiple payments between November and now, with the total amount in question reaching $1.23 million. nd other related projects, Autumn Games has stated that it will continue updating the Skullgirls franchise regardless of the ongoing legal dispute. However, the publisher has not specified which titles will receive updates or when they will be released.

In their official statement, Hidden Variable expressed gratitude for over 10 years of support from the Skullgirls community. They highlighted their contributions to various aspects of the franchise—including the development of Skullgirls Mobile, the addition of new characters to Skullgirls 2nd Encore, support for the competitive community via the Skullgirls Championship Series, and collaborations on the Skullgirls Webtoon—before emphasizing that they will remain silent on further details until the dispute is resolved.

This dispute follows a turbulent history for the Skullgirls franchise. The original developer was controversially removed from the project by Autumn Games following allegations against former studio head Mike Zaimont, as reported by TechRaptor.