Neill Blomkamp’s blockchain studio Gunzilla Games hasn’t paid some staff ‘for many months’, employees allege

Gunzilla Games, the blockchain game development studio co-founded by Neill Blomkamp, hasn’t paid staff for “many months”, it’s been alleged.

Gunzilla Games is the creator of NFT battle royale game Off The Grid, and blockchain platform Gunz. The studio has the backing of Hollywood director Blomkamp (District 9, Chappie), who is credited as co-founder and Chief Creative Officer on the company’s website.

Paul Creamer, a VFX, cinematic and gameplay animator who joined Gunzilla in March 2025 and left a year later, has posted a message on his LinkedIn page claiming that he hasn’t paid by the company for months and isn’t the only one this has happened to.

“Gunzilla Games has not paid its employees for many months but still expects them to work,” he alleged. “I have personally not been paid since October 2025. Some have had their pay delayed even longer.

“I foolishly worked for 3 extra months (October, November and December) with assurances that delays in payment would be resolved. Upper management promised that these delays were temporary and growing pains tied to being a new company with a new game.

“In December the CEO himself (Vlad Korolev) had a call with my department where he promised us that invoices would be paid as soon as possible, that the company was profitable and that we were all doing the right thing by keeping quiet and continuing to work.

“He was not being truthful and now the company ignores our questions and removes our posts about what’s going on trying to silence us. Silence is what they’re hoping for, wishing that we’ll just quietly go away.”

He added: “I know I will never recover these lost wages, the damage is done. Gunzilla will get away with this without repercussion. This will happen again and again without end. Artists will continue to be taken advantage of, our passions will be continually exploited. After all, we’re lucky to do what we love aren’t we?

“The rest of the industry should know what has happened and what will continue to happen unless you organize and lock out these predatory leaders who seek only to enrich themselves and see you face down in the mud.”

Creamer’s post received a number of replies, including from other Gunzilla staff who claimed the same had happened to them.

“This is horrible, I feel you man,” replied gameplay animator Rayan Tiraghan, who joined Gunzilla in July 2024 and left in February 2026. “They also owe me some money.”

“This is much bigger than you can possibly believe, there are dozens of people with pending salaries from them,” added UI programmer Riccardo Galdieri, who worked for Gunzilla between March and July 2025. “I made a post a while back and they tried to silence me as well, but I got a lawyer involved and got what it was owed to me. Don’t lose hope.”

“I wasn’t paid for August – September 2025 either,” concept artist and illustrator Sergei Kochurkin alleged. “They continue using the character designs I created without paying for them. I wonder how many people were affected by the non-payment.”

VGC has contacted Gunzilla Games and requested a comment on the allegations.