Hidden Variable, the LA-based developer of Skullgirls Mobile, has issued a statement revealing that the team is “no longer involved in the development of Skullgirls Mobile, 2nd Encore, or other Skullgirls IP-related efforts” since 21st January and has initiated legal proceedings against publisher Autumn Games.
Posted to social media platforms (thanks, Event Hubs), the statement says that the legal papers have been filed in LA and the team won’t be making further comment “until this dispute is resolved”.
The papers show that the developer is claiming breach of contract related to failure to make “required payments” totalling over $1.2 million.
Hidden Variable Statement Regarding Skullgirls Development
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 Skullgirls 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 Skullgirls Championship Series, and helping fans new and old fall in love with the IP through the Skullgirls 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.
Hidden Variable Studios
The publisher issued its own statement on Twitter, aligning itself with the fandom and attempting to rally support while also announcing Guilds for Skullgirls coming “later this year” and making no specific reference to the dispute:
An Update on Skullgirls
To the Skullgirls Community,
First and foremost, I want to acknowledge the concerns surrounding recent announcements.
Skullgirls has always been more than just a game – it’s a passion project, a living work of art, and a world shaped by the love of its creators and players alike. From the earliest days, it has been this partnership with you, the Skullgirls Community, that has made the Skullgirls Universe so special. And with that, I want to let you know – with no uncertainty – that Autumn Games is here to grow our investment, support, and development of the Skullgirls franchise.
For the past 15 years, Autumn Games has worked behind the scenes as the unwavering backbone of Skullgirls, ensuring its growth and investing to bring this world to life. We have been here from the beginning-through every challenge, every triumph, and every major milestone. With the incredible work, creativity, and support of various teams: from Reverge Labs to Lab Zero, Future Club, and Hidden Variable Studios; the Skullgirls Universe has evolved in extraordinary ways despite significant challenges.
However, it has become especially clear that we collectively have not been delivering on our promise to you the fans; to bring new characters, stories, features, and game modes in the way you deserve. To be blunt, that is why we are making changes now.
We are not a massive corporation stepping in to take over; we are game developers, storytellers, and passionate fans, just like you.
With that in mind, I want to make one thing clear: Skullgirls is here to stay, and we are fully committed to building its future.
We are not here to simply maintain Skullgirls – we are stepping in to reinvest in it, to expand the stories and gameplay, and to continue to build upon the Skullgirls Universe that we all love.
It may come as no surprise that we have an endless supply of ideas – we know you as fans do too. We are listening and we will be delivering on our promises.
To that point, we are excited to announce that we will be launching Guilds for Skullgirls this year, an extraordinarily long promised feature; which is now actually in development since we have taken over in the last few months.
Your feedback, your passion, and your support mean everything to us. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey – we can’t wait to take Skullgirls into this new chapter together.
Come join the discussion on the Skullgirls Discord and stay tuned for updates soon.
Jason and the Autumn Games Team
This is the latest in a long line of complications and controversies around the popular but troubled fighting game, the mobile version of which was developed solely by Hidden Variable.
Remnants of the original developer Reverge Labs reformed as Lab Zero Games following layoffs in 2012, and a falling out with Konami led to the Encore edition of the game (which became 2nd Encore).
In 2020, allegations against lead designer Mike Zaimont’s conduct and a series of resignations led to Hidden Variable and the publisher cutting ties with Lab Zero completely, after which Zaimont fired all remaining staff. Former members of the Lab Zero team then formed Future Club to continue work on the game along with Hidden Variable.
At the time of writing, the developer’s website states that the team is “hard at work on both Skullgirls Mobile and a new, original title”.