Gunzilla Games faces allegations of salary delays

The situation behind the scenes at Gunzilla Games, the company responsible for the blockchain game Off the Grid and the current owner of the publication Game Informer, seems far from the normality claimed by management. Reports from employees and former collaborators point to a scenario of selective insolvency, with delays extending for months in various regions. While the management team tries to sell the idea of these being merely "growing pains" of a new company, the discontent spilled over to social media. Anna Savina, Talent Acquisition Lead, even publicly exposed the lack of explanations for the significant delays, although she later updated her post saying her case was resolved. However, the reality for others is much bleaker.

International contractors and the team based in Ukraine appear to be the most affected by the financial crisis at Gunzilla Games. Reports gathered by GamesIndustry.biz indicate that some Ukrainian professionals have not been paid for approximately six months. Professionals like Oleksandr Linovichenko and Anton Kharyn, both former principal artists at the firm, claim they left the company in October without seeing the funds for the months of August and September. This is a lamentable stance for a studio that received an initial investment of 25 million dollars from GameGroove and includes prominent names like Alexander Zoll, former Crytek, and filmmaker Neill Blomkamp in its roster of partners.

"Senior management promised that these delays were temporary and related to the growth of being a new company with a new game" — wrote Canadian service provider Paul Creamer, who worked until December under the promise of payment but claims he has not been paid since October 2025.

In the United Kingdom, the company's subsidiary, which changed its name to Geofvision on April 6th according to Companies House, also faces issues beyond net salary. Employees report irregularities in pension deposits; although amounts were deducted from paychecks between May and September, the money did not reach the retirement funds. Gunzilla Games attributed the failure to the payroll provider, but, after partial regularization in October, contributions reportedly ceased again in November. This administrative disorganization buries any excitement the early access launch of Off the Grid might generate, revealing a structure that seems to prioritize marketing over the well-being of those who produce the game.

The internal atmosphere on the company's Slack reflects the strain: employees created a custom emoji of a beggar asking for alms, used frequently in reaction to posts by Vlad Korolov, the company's CEO. While management ignores the seriousness of the situation in internal communications, former collaborators state they only managed to receive their due amounts after threatening legal action. This is a stark contrast for a company that, in 2025, took control of the iconic Game Informer after its closure by GameStop, promising a new breath for gaming journalism. What is seen now is management failing at the basics, undermining the trust of investors and, most importantly, the talents sustaining operations in Frankfurt, Kiev, London, and Los Angeles.

Given such a turbulent history of payments and unfulfilled promises, do you think projects based on technologies like blockchain and NFTs can regain credibility when their basic financial health is questioned in this way?