The CEO of blockchain recreation growth studio Gunzilla Video games has posted a prolonged and defiant response to claims that the studio doesn’t pay its contractors.
Gunzilla Video games is the creator of NFT battle royale recreation Off The Grid, and blockchain platform Gunz. The studio has the backing of Hollywood director Blomkamp (District 9, Chappie), who’s credited as co-founder and Chief Artistic Officer on the corporate’s web site.
Earlier this week Paul Creamer, a VFX, cinematic and gameplay animator who labored for Gunzilla for a 12 months, posted a message on his LinkedIn web page claiming that he hadn’t paid by the corporate for months and that he wasn’t the one one this had occurred to.
“Gunzilla Video games has not paid its staff for a lot of months however nonetheless expects them to work,” he alleged. “I’ve personally not been paid since October 2025. Some have had their pay delayed even longer.”
Creamer’s submit obtained a variety of posts from different former Gunzilla staff and contractors who additionally claimed they hadn’t been paid for his or her work.
VGC contacted Gunzilla for touch upon the accusations, however as a substitute Gunzilla CEO Vlad Korolev has taken to X to deal with the state of affairs, claiming that “haters” try to color a story to make the studio look unhealthy.
Korolev conceded that the corporate’s funds had been made at a time that suited the corporate and never these being paid, then acknowledged that “full-time official staff” had been paid on time (most of the claims had been made by contractors, not staff).
“Off The Grid at this time is not only a part of web3 gaming – it defines it, whether or not some individuals prefer it or not,” he claimed. “Being named Web3 Sport of the 12 months two years in a row. Right now there’s a new narrative from haters – that Gunzilla incorrectly laid off contractors or paid them with delays.
“Sure, we’re optimizing prices – like each firm in gaming, crypto, and tech is doing proper now. We’ve got been doing this for over a 12 months. And sure, to not disrupt firm operations, some funds could also be scheduled in a approach that works for the corporate’s money stream – not all the time for everybody individually. That’s the fact of the world we reside in.
“However to guard the pursuits of our gamers and our full-time official staff – whose salaries, over 6 years, have by no means been delayed by greater than per week – we function at a tempo that ensures the corporate continues shifting ahead. And naturally, we honor each obligation.”
Regardless of seemingly defending the corporate’s fee set-up, Korolev then added: “We apologize for any inconvenience this will have brought on.”
“It’s additionally value noting that one of many loudest voices – a contractor who completed working with us only a week in the past – was repaid instantly,” he mentioned. “Off the Grid has been reside for over 1.5 years, and we’re nonetheless right here – regardless of how a lot some individuals would like to see in any other case. Sorry, we gained’t be providing you with that privilege.”
Korolev additionally instructed anybody attempting to unfold “concern, uncertainty and doubt” in regards to the recreation’s success that he would arrange a reside dashboard displaying its participant progress, however solely to individuals who paid him 100,000 of its Gunz cryptocurrency (round $1,700).
“Each single day, 3,000 new gamers be a part of Off the Grid,” he claimed. “And for these nonetheless spreading FUD – we’re completely satisfied to arrange a reside dashboard so you may see each new participant becoming a member of in actual time. Entry will price you 100k GUN – so you may lastly put actual weight behind your phrases.”
In his LinkedIn submit claiming he hadn’t been paid by Gunzilla, Creamer alleged that Korolev promised them funds can be coming and that by not talking out about it they had been serving to.
““I foolishly labored for 3 further months (October, November and December) with assurances that delays in fee can be resolved,” Creamer wrote. “Higher administration promised that these delays had been momentary and rising pains tied to being a brand new firm with a brand new recreation.
“In December the CEO himself (Vlad Korolev) had a name with my division the place he promised us that invoices can be paid as quickly as potential, that the corporate was worthwhile and that we had been all doing the correct factor by conserving quiet and persevering with to work.
“He was not being truthful and now the corporate ignores our questions and removes our posts about what’s occurring attempting to silence us. Silence is what they’re hoping for, wishing that we’ll simply quietly go away.”
He added: “I do know I’ll by no means recuperate these misplaced wages, the injury is completed. Gunzilla will get away with this with out repercussion. This can occur many times with out finish. Artists will proceed to be taken benefit of, our passions will likely be frequently exploited. In any case, we’re fortunate to do what we love aren’t we?
“The remainder of the trade ought to know what has occurred and what is going to proceed to occur until you set up and lock out these predatory leaders who search solely to complement themselves and see you face down within the mud.”
