Gunzilla Games, the studio behind blockchain battle royale Off the Grid and current owner of revived games publication Game Informer, is facing allegations that it has failed to pay staff salaries for an extended period. According to a report from GamesIndustry.biz, both current and former employees claim the company has missed payments spanning multiple months.
A studio with a lot on its plate
Gunzilla occupies an unusual position in the industry. Beyond developing Off the Grid - a free-to-play extraction shooter with NFT integration that launched into early access last year - the company also took ownership of the Game Informer brand after the outlet was abruptly shut down by GameStop in 2024. Relaunching a legacy publication while simultaneously running a live-service game is an ambitious dual operation under the best financial conditions, let alone amid alleged payroll failures.
The salary allegations paint a concerning picture for anyone working under the Gunzilla umbrella. Missing payroll for months is not a minor administrative hiccup - it represents a significant breach of employer obligations and signals deeper financial instability within the organization.
What this means for Game Informer
The situation raises immediate questions about the future of Game Informer, which had only recently been resurrected after its high-profile closure devastated a team of long-serving games journalists. Fans and industry observers rallied around the brand's revival, making the current allegations particularly difficult to process for anyone who was rooting for its comeback.
If the company is genuinely struggling to meet basic payroll obligations, the sustainability of running a media outlet - which requires consistent editorial output and operational investment - looks precarious. Staff working on Game Informer's content could be among those affected by the reported payment issues.
Blockchain ambitions meet financial reality
Off the Grid leaned heavily into the blockchain gaming space, with NFT-based cosmetics and in-game assets forming part of its economic model. That approach was always going to be a tough sell to mainstream players, and the game has faced an uphill battle in standing out in the crowded extraction shooter market alongside titles like Escape from Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown. Whether the game's revenue performance has contributed to the company's reported financial difficulties is not confirmed, but the timing invites scrutiny.
The broader context here matters too. The games industry has endured wave after wave of layoffs and studio closures over the past 18 months, and publishers operating in the blockchain gaming space have had a particularly rough time maintaining player interest and investor confidence. Gunzilla's situation, as reported by GamesIndustry.biz, fits into a wider pattern of companies overextending during a period of serious market contraction.
No public response yet
As of the time of reporting, Gunzilla Games has not issued a public statement addressing the salary allegations. For the staff involved - people who took jobs at a studio promising an exciting new chapter for both game development and games journalism - the lack of communication on something as fundamental as pay will only compound the frustration and uncertainty they are already facing.
This is a developing story. GamesIndustry.biz's full report contains additional detail from sources close to the situation, and it is worth following closely as the company will likely face mounting pressure to respond publicly in the coming days.
