The publisher of Aeon Must Die has addressed the game’s return as its former developers insist their dispute remains unresolved.
Aeon Must Die hit the headlines last year after starring in a much-watched Sony PlayStation State of Play broadcast.
The trailer for the game shown during the August 2020 State of Play, below, depicts a visually arresting beat-’em-up that caught the attention of PlayStation fans.
Aeon Must Die – World Premiere Trailer | PS4 Watch on YouTube
But immediately following Aeon Must Die’s high-profile video showcase airing, a version of the announcement trailer appeared on YouTube accompanied by a description alleging it had been created “with abuse, manipulation, theft” at Estonian studio Limestone Games.
“People who have worked on every shot of this are no longer with the company holding IP rights,” the statement continued.
“Some were not even paid for their work. This trailer has a pending conflict of IP. The real IP for the game was stolen from the creators via foul play.”
The uploader also provided a link to a Dropbox folder containing a considerable amount of documentation claiming to reveal “the truth about development of this game”.
The provided documentation included letters, audio files and testimonies attributed to various members of Limestone Games staff. The group claimed it was ultimately forced to leave the studio as a result of “unbearable” working conditions – specifically “endless crunch, harassment, abuse, corruption, and manipulation” – experienced during development of Aeon Must Die.