Epic Games Faces Accusation of Withholding Royalties from Hatoful Boyfriend Creator

The creator of the original Hatoful Boyfriend game has publicly accused Epic Games of failing to pay royalties on the title for the past two years. This accusation was made after Epic laid off staff from Mediatonic, the studio behind the HD remake of Hatoful Boyfriend. Hato Moa expressed sympathy for the affected staff, stating that Epic has not provided royalties since acquiring Mediatonic in 2021. Epic Games Publishing has since responded, stating they are investigating the matter and will be in direct contact with Moa. Initially released in Japan in 2011, Hatoful Boyfriend was later remade by Mediatonic and Devolver Digital for international audiences in 2014, and was released on mobile and PlayStation platforms. Following Epic's acquisition of Mediatonic, these versions were removed from storefronts, although the game remains available on Steam, published by Epic. Moa has stated that pursuing legal action over the unpaid royalties would not be worthwhile due to the costs involved. Despite this, Moa expressed appreciation for the Mediatonic staff, who have always been supportive.