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Ex-Lab Zero Games employee claims Mike Z repeatedly abused power [UP1: Multiple Employees Resign] (UP2: Mike Z allegedly lays off remaining employees)

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fhqwhgads

fhqwhgads

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,535


Twitter user's page features NSFW art, be advised before clicking

"I'm leaving Lab Zero Games. Short version: Mike Z creates an unsafe work environment for everyone. He is the sole owner of Lab Zero Games, and removing him is difficult. He originally agreed to leave, but is unwilling to make a reasonable compromise, so I'm taking my exit now."
 
RyougaSaotome

RyougaSaotome

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,675
What bums me out the most about this is that people there clearly made the right moves to have him removed, and somehow he managed to turn it all back around and stage a full on takeover.

I respect that they weren't willing to agree to whatever his absurd demands were, but man does it fucking suck that he pulled this as a response. Ugh.

I would not be surprised if this isn't the only high profile step down in terms of artists and animators.
 
Neoxon

Neoxon

Spotlighting Black Excellence - Diversity Analyst
Member
Oct 25, 2017
85,369
Houston, TX
RyougaSaotome said:
What bums me out the most about this is that people there clearly made the right moves to have him removed, and somehow he managed to turn it all back around and stage a full on takeover.

I respect that they weren't willing to agree to whatever his absurd demands were, but man does it fucking suck that he pulled this as a response. Ugh.

I would not be surprised if this isn't the only high profile step down in terms of artists and animators.
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This is what pisses me off the most. Fuck Mike Z, & I wish EU03 the best in their future endeavors.
 
ThatMeanScene

ThatMeanScene

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
9,853
Miami, FL
MikeZ proving that he's an angry offensivce prick. Jesus dude, leave the company so your games and your employees can be keep mopving forward without your bad reputation sullying everything.
 
XaviConcept

XaviConcept

Art Director for Videogames
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
4,909
Master Milk said:
How is Mike the sole owner?

I wonder if Ravidrath can speak on it?
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FoneBone said:
Have not been following this closely but assume this is related

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Not related and even if it was, that stuff is highly confidential so anyone involved would be liable to get sued.

My assumption is that MikeZ would only leave if his stake in the company was bought out, hence the reference to why should he be the one compensated when hes the asshole?
 
NotLiquid

NotLiquid

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
34,767
I noticed a few Lab Zero adjacent people talking about quitting their job, maybe a walkout is about to happen?

anyway fuck MikeZ
 
Richietto

Richietto

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,989
North Carolina
Big oooph. Mike Z kinda just preemptively destroyed his company with that. Can't imagine the other developers will want to stick around. I loved Lab Zero's work and hope everything works out for the people there. Fuck Mike Z.
 
VariantX

VariantX

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,887
Columbia, SC
Man fuck Mike Z. He's literally burning it all down. The community, the fans,and company just got anchored to a toxic asshole and its not going to go down like he thinks this is.

Lab Zero Employees jokes are fast incoming
 
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Hero

Hero

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,784
Feels like this is the worst case scenario for everyone. Mike drags his company's reputation through the mud, the staff either quit or get associated with being under problematic leadership, and fans of their games suffer. He should've just stepped down and taken some time to improve himself / get the help he needs, and he probably could've come back in a few years.
 
Master Milk

Master Milk

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,450
Raging Spaniard said:
Not related and even if it was, that stuff is highly confidential so anyone involved would be liable to get sued.

My assumption is that MikeZ would only leave if his stake in the company was bought out, hence the reference to why should he be the one compensated when hes the asshole?
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i guess, i just always assumed all the founding members of lz would have equal ownership. but since you mentioned a buy out, i guess if everyone else was bought out that only leaves mike

rip lz
 

JDSN

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,129
Fuck over your lifehood and standing just so you could make death black people jokes.
 

Deleted member 401

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
11,251
If there's a silver lining here, it's that Autumn owns Skullgirls, not Lab Zero. And it would appear that the same applies to 505 and Indivisible.

With any luck, the folks leaving Lab Zero will be able to return to fleshing out these worlds without being dragged down by Mike Z.
 
XaviConcept

XaviConcept

Art Director for Videogames
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
4,909
Master Milk said:
i guess, i just always assumed all the founding members of lz would have equal ownership. but since you mentioned a buy out, i guess if everyone else was bought out that only leaves mike

rip lz
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No idea and I wouldnt draw conclusions or make speculation either, this shit is complicated.

I would expect a mass exodus soon though. The brand is heavily damaged at this point.
 
Samiya

Samiya

Alt Account
Banned
Nov 30, 2019
4,811
i thought it was very weird when the CEO of the company left with almost zero farewell or explanation, at least publicly. I guess it was weird because they were running a kickstarted game so i assumed that they would relay organizational changes or have farewell letters when an important person leaves the project to the people who backed it.
 

Deleted member 442

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
2,431
Their lead producer; Francesca Esquenazi has left according to her LinkedIn. Seems pretty unanimous from the perspective of the employees.

Imagine pulling this kind of shit on your team during a pandemic. Clown human being.
 

Just Great

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,992
My previous stance was that Skullgirls as a game was bigger than MikeZ, so the community shouldn't be punished, but now that he's kicked his board off and refuses to leave, that stance is nuked. MikeZ has officially made the game and the company all about himself.
 
WhovianGamer

WhovianGamer

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
2,033
If he is the sole owner, buying him out is the only way to remove him. I know him making bank isn't what this former employee wanted, but that is the sad reality.
 
NotLiquid

NotLiquid

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
34,767
Teknopathetic said:
My previous stance was that Skullgirls as a game was bigger than MikeZ, so the community shouldn't be punished, but now that he's kicked his board off and refuses to leave, that stance is nuked. MikeZ has officially made the game and the company all about himself.
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I'd say only the latter part is accurate. MikeZ will sit on the lonely throne of Lab Zero, but Autumn Games own the Skullgirls IP, they can keep it afloat without him, and considering the recency of new content announcement, that seems like it could continue to be the case since I doubt this exodus happened in a very short moment's notice.
 
Ashlette

Ashlette

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,254
I hope the former Lab Zero employees follow this site's example and start their own studio.
 
waugh

waugh

Attempted to circumvent ban with an alt-account
Banned
Feb 21, 2020
1,401
This probably cant happen but it would amazing if everyone left Lab Zero and started a new company to take over Skull Girls and Indivisible without that shit head MikeZ involved at all.
 
Naga

Naga

Alt account
Banned
Aug 29, 2019
7,850
More people leaving


and her timeline really make it seems like it's been happening for several days/weeks. I wonder if Personasama is next given the RTs.
I'm guessing Kinuko too given that Lab Zero isn't in her bio anymore? Wouldn't be surprised if some end up working on Skullgirls Mobile.
 
waugh

waugh

Attempted to circumvent ban with an alt-account
Banned
Feb 21, 2020
1,401
Naga said:
More people leaving


and her timeline really make it seems like it's been happening for several days/weeks. I wonder if Personasama is next given the RTs.
I'm guessing Kinuko too given that Lab Zero isn't in her bio anymore? Wouldn't be surprised if some end up working on Skullgirls Mobile.
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I hope so, lots of amazing talent at Lab Zero who don't deserve to suffer because one guy decided to be the human equivalent of a dung beetle.
 
gebler

gebler

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,269
HellBlazer

HellBlazer

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,030
Hmm, damn. Is this about Mike Z making that really tasteless joke on stream, and him being a weirdo in a woman's DMs, or is there more that I missed?
 
Adulfzen

Adulfzen

Member
Oct 29, 2017
3,606
fuck MikeZ I guess, never gonna support whatever Lab Zero does from now on considering he will be literally the main benefactor from any sales.
 
mreddie

mreddie

Member
Oct 26, 2017
44,116
Jebus, everyone is literally leaving LZ because Mike doubled down.

Wonder what this means for Skullgirls and Indivisible's futures despite the pubs owning the IP rights.
 

Deleted member 8722

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
684
Man this hella sucks. I haven't played Skullgirls since that last story came out. It's definitely bigger than MikeZ but at this point the two are tied together to much.
 
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