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Several developers have announced their departure from Skullgirls dev Lab Zero Games over the past few days, all citing studio owner Mike Zaimont’s behavior and lack of accountability as the reason.
“Mike Z creates a dangerous work environment for everyone,” tweeted departing artist Brian Jun next to a longer statement on its release. “He’s the sole owner of Lab Zero Games, and removing him is difficult. He initially agreed to leave, but is unwilling to make a reasonable compromise, so I’m taking my exit now.
Following Jun’s announcement, Indivisible creative director Mariel Kinuko Cartwright and Indivisible and Skullgirls host Jonathan Kim both followed suit in similar circumstances.
Zaimot was accused of making inappropriate sexual comments about a Twitch streamer and cosplayer earlier this year (via Kotaku), and was criticized around the same time for making a “I can’t breathe” live joke shortly after a cop choked George Floyd. These events sparked a conversation among the staff at Lab Zero Games, and Jun says they collectively realized that their own uncomfortable interactions with Zaimont were not isolated incidents, but rather part of a larger pattern.
“What we realized was that there was a pattern of behavior that I don’t think I fully understood until then,” Cartwright writes. “A pattern of hostility, insults, threats, lies and harassment that many of our team members had not openly shared before.”
“Mike Z had made me feel unsteady at times at times, but I didn’t realize how broad his actions were,” Jun writes. “It was a clear pattern of systemic abuse and lack of empathy as he himself refused to take comments and showed no willingness to change.”
According to accounts from outgoing staff members, Lab Zero Games’ board of directors placed Zaimont on administrative leave as he worked to negotiate the terms of his departure, but was faced with unreasonable demands. Jun says Zaimont used his position to dissolve the board after negotiations failed, then reneged on his plans to leave the studio.
Kim adds that Zaimont tried to shirk responsibility for his actions and continued to intimidate staff, then “gave all employees until August 31st to leave if they are not satisfied, and so now we are here.”
“Instead of quietly leaving Lab Zero, Mike refused to listen and decided that everyone in the company, including the people he was victim to, was wrong. His actions are insulting and unacceptable, ”Kim writes. “Lab Zero has always been the great team working together to create amazing work. But Mike took advantage and hurt this team, and I can’t stay in a company that includes him anymore.
These departing staff also add that Zaimont’s status as the studio owner was not intended to be permanent, but was originally intended as a transitional role before ownership transferred to employees of the studio. studio.
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