Off The Grid developer Gunzilla accused of failing to pay employees
Gunzilla Games, the developer of the NFT-based battle royale game Off The Grid and owner of gaming publication Game Informer, is facing multiple allegations from former and current staff that the company has failed to pay salaries for months. Several employees have publicly stated on LinkedIn that they remain unpaid, with at least one former animator claiming to have received no compensation since October 2025.
The company’s leadership has been described as aware of the issue but failing to take corrective action. One affected worker characterized the problem as “systemic,” suggesting a widespread financial management crisis rather than isolated incidents.
CEO Vlad Korolev acknowledged the salary delays in a post on X, explaining that “some payments may be scheduled in a way that works for the company’s cash flow.” However, he denied that full-time official employees experienced payment delays and dismissed allegations regarding unpaid contractors, attributing the complaints to “haters” who want the studio to fail. Korolev also stated that the company “honors every obligation.”
The allegations also include claims that the company has attempted to silence employees seeking payment. Additionally, reports indicate Korolev has suggested that people could pay him cryptocurrency to access player data metrics for Off The Grid.
Gunzilla Games was co-founded by acclaimed filmmaker Neill Blomkamp, director of District 9. The company’s ownership of Game Informer adds further scrutiny, as the publication was recently resurrected under Gunzilla’s stewardship.
Sources
- Off The Grid developer Gunzilla accused of failing to pay employees
- Off the Grid maker and Game Informer owner Gunzilla Games accused of missing staff salary payments
- Gunzilla CEO Denies Claims Of Not Paying Staff, Rants About ‘Haters,’ And Brags About Crunch
- Gunzilla CEO denies delaying payments to ‘full-time official employees,’ denies calling unpaid contractors ‘haters’ (updated)
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