Developer Hidden Variable said it’s “no longer involved” with the Skullgirls franchise after it filed a lawsuit against publisher Autumn Games.
The suit alleges Autumn owes Hidden Variable $1.2 million in payments for its work on Skullgirls Mobile and the 2015 game Skullgirls 2nd Encore. Hidden Variable claimed Autumn was supposed to begin paying in late 2024, but failed to settle these accounts as of January 21, 2025. After that date, the studio gave Autumn “all of the account login information required to continue providing community support for the game […] so as not to cause damage to the game.”
“From December 2014 through approximately October 2024, Plaintiff and Autumn had a successful business relationship,” the suit reads. “Plaintiff fully performed its obligations under the Twelfth Amendment through January 21, 2025. […] Despite plaintiff’s performance and its agreement to do so, Autumn failed and/or refused to fully compensate plaintiff for the services plaintiff performed in accordance with the Twelfth Amendment.”
In a public statement, Hidden Variable said it was “incredibly proud of the 10+ years we’ve invested in Skullgirls in all its forms. […] Most of all, we’re grateful to have been able to celebrate and support the incomparable Skullgirls community. Thank you all for everything—you deserve nothing but the best.”
Autumn Games’ Jason Donnell later published a statement saying the company was “making changes.” While it did not directly address Hidden Variable’s suit, Autumn’s statement underlined its commitment to “stepping in to reinvest” in Skullgirls. “It’s here to stay, and we are fully committed to building its future.”
The saga of Skullgirls
Reverge Labs, and later Lab Zero Games, originally released Skullgirls in 2012, and things have been turbulent for the fighting game since then.
In 2020, players and former employees accused designer Mike Zaimont of abuse. Several developers made individual statements against Zaimont, who was subsequently renounced by Hidden Variable and Autumn. Zaimont later fired the remaining Lab Zero staff, resulting in several of them founding a new studio, Future Club.
Skullgirls Mobile was developed entirely by Hidden Variable, which teamed with Future Club on 2nd Encore DLC. Both games have received concurrent, ongoing support.
Hidden Variable said it will not comment on its suit against Autumn Games while it is ongoing.
