Hidden Variable has officially announced that, as of January 21, 2025, it has cut ties with the development of Skullgirls Mobile and Skullgirls 2nd Encore due to an ongoing dispute with publisher Autumn Games. The conflict has escalated to legal action, with Hidden Variable filing a lawsuit in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The lawsuit alleges that Autumn Games committed a breach of contract, anticipatory breach of contract, and failed to compensate the studio for its work.
Court filings indicate that Hidden Variable claims to have fulfilled all contractual obligations, yet Autumn Games allegedly failed to pay a $131,500 installment due in November 2024, followed by additional missed payments on November 15, December 1, December 15, January 1, and January 15. The studio also asserts that it is owed approximately $15,000 in expenses.
Additional payments totaling $139,000 were expected on February 1, with biweekly payments continuing through March 15, 2025. In total, Hidden Variable is seeking $1,227,308.98 in unpaid compensation, plus interest.
Despite the ongoing financial dispute, Hidden Variable asserts that it has acted in good faith, ensuring that Autumn Games received all necessary account credentials to maintain community support for the game.
“All of us at HVS are incredibly proud of the more than 10 years we’ve dedicated to Skullgirls in all its forms,” the studio stated. “From developing and supporting Skullgirls Mobile to expanding Skullgirls 2nd Encore with new characters and platforms, fostering the competitive scene through the Skullgirls Championship Series, and introducing new fans to the franchise through various collaborations, it has been an incredible journey. Most of all, we’re deeply grateful for the unmatched Skullgirls community.”
The statement concluded by confirming that Hidden Variable will refrain from further comment until the dispute is resolved.
In response, Jason Donnell of Autumn Games issued a statement addressing concerns about recent developments, stressing that Skullgirls is more than just a game, it is a passion project shaped by both its creators and its community. Donnell acknowledged that Autumn Games had “not been delivering on our promise” to fans, which is why changes were now being implemented.
“We are not a massive corporation stepping in to take over; we are game developers, storytellers, and passionate fans, just like you,” the statement read. Autumn Games also confirmed that Guilds, a long-awaited feature, had entered development following the company’s full control of the project in recent months.
As this corporate dispute unfolds, the Skullgirls franchise itself has experienced a sharp decline in relevance due to mismanagement in recent years. Originally crafted for a specific audience that appreciated its fanservice-heavy aesthetic, the game has undergone significant changes since the removal of its original creator, Mike Zaimont, following allegations of sexual misconduct.
Under new management, Skullgirls has been subjected to retroactive censorship updates, removing provocative elements from character animations. Additionally, various pieces of not just concept artwork but guest artwork featured in the official digital art book have either been altered or outright removed, further reinforcing this shift in direction.
The art book, now censored, was re-released for free, igniting frustration among buyers who had initially paid to support the creators’ work, only to be deceived by having it replaced with a watered-down and censored version instead.
Tensions heightened when Skullgirls introduced further changes that distanced its longtime fans. In May of 2020 the game’s tutorial was altered, replacing scenes with Mrs. Victoria, a recognizable, voluptuous instructor with depictions of SonicFox, who also appeared in the background of the Class Notes tutorial stage as an NPC.
SonicFox is an openly gay, non-binary Black furry who has been a polarizing political figure within the FGC, primarily for being an insufferable piece of shit due to his outspoken nature and tendency to dismiss criticism and a lack of LGBT pandering by corporations as homophobia.
Before the ongoing censorship took hold, this change acted as the catalyst for Skullgirls‘ player base to abandon the game. Mods were created to remove SonicFox’s inclusion, and negative feedback from users on official subreddits and discussion forums was deleted and met with bans.
For veteran players, this was the final straw. Much like Guilty Gear Strive lost its fanbase after deliberately retconning Bridget’s identity in the English localization, Skullgirls saw players abandoning the game in droves. Now, most of them have nothing but pure hatred for Hidden Variable, the development studio who hijacked the project from Mike Z just to set it on fire with performative bullshit.
Several character designs in Skullgirls were altered, with various pieces of artwork being redesigned. The Black Egrets’ red bandanas were removed to prevent any perceived association with Nazi symbolism, while Filia’s hair comb was eliminated due to claims of “cultural appropriation” of Black culture.
Additionally, Skullgirls reworked Big Band’s backstory, removing a scene depicting him being beaten to death. This change, made in 2023, coincided with the removal of the Black Egrets’ red armbands, revisions to the art book, and the purging of more panty shots, with Band’s reimagining justified under concerns over “racial sensitivity” due to police brutality.
Given the direction Skullgirls has taken over the years since it was rebranded as Skullgirls 2nd Encore and the ongoing changes that have distanced it from its original fanbase in favor of a more “politically correct” image, there is little sympathy among longtime fans regarding the financial dispute between Hidden Variable and publisher Autumn Games.
In fact, many former fans likely find some satisfaction in seeing the small development team potentially losing out on more than a million dollars.
If anything, many fans view this as a form of justice for the efforts spent dismantling the franchise’s identity in favor of political correctness and queer pandering. Now that Hidden Variable is no longer involved, the future of the Skullgirls IP remains uncertain. However, don’t expect a revival, rather the franchise will likely die off alongside Autumn Games, who will certainly face legal repercussions.
For those still wishing to experience the original, uncensored game, your best option is to emulate the pre-2015 version, including the arcade editions for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
