Gunzilla Games CEO Vlad Korolev's response to unpaid contractor allegations is a masterclass in deflection: label critics 'haters,' prioritize full-time staff, and frame endless crunch as a badge of honor.

Former senior VFX animator Paul Creamer detailed his ordeal on LinkedIn, claiming no payments since October 2025 despite working through December. He recounted a December all-hands call where Korolev promised imminent invoice processing, citing company growth and profitability, while urging silence and continued work. Talent acquisition lead Anna Savina echoed similar complaints of halted communication on back pay. Korolev countered on X that full-time salaries have never lagged more than a week in six years, attributing contractor delays to cash flow management essential for operations. He noted one vocal contractor—finishing work a week prior—was reimbursed immediately after speaking out.

Korolev's April 9 X thread escalates into a bragfest: 'Within 6 years, there has never been a single day where anyone worked in a “work-life balance” mode—it has been a day-and-night fight to ship a project of the scale of Call of Duty.' Community reactions split sharply, with supporters praising transparency amid web3 pressures, while players questioned player retention claims (3,000 daily new joins), bot-heavy lobbies, absent battle passes for months, and suspiciously uniform phrasing hinting at AI assistance. PC Gamer highlighted the contractor-employee distinction as a common industry tactic.

As Off The Grid nears two years post-launch—now on PS5 and Xbox sans full web3 features—the memo arrives amid Game Informer ownership and web3 accolades. Korolev offers real-time player data for 100k GUN ($1,700), but without invoices or independent verification, the 'haters' narrative leaves contractors holding the bag.