Corecell Alleges PQube Failed to Honor Payment Obligations

In a recent development, Corecell has fired back at PQube's comments, presenting additional allegations that counter the publisher's defense. The studio emphasized that despite PQube's claims, the publisher has not fulfilled its payment obligations. "The truth remains that PQube has yet to pay us the agreed amount," Corecell stated. "We have not received any revenue from PQube's sales in EU stores, and PQube has not returned publishing control in Europe to us." Corecell pointed out that PQube is still listed as the publisher for console versions, citing the Xbox store listing, and further alleged that PQube released a PC version without obtaining the necessary permission. "The contract only granted PQube first refusal rights for other platforms, and the PC version was never part of the agreement," The studio disputed PQube's claims that it failed to address quality issues, stating it had always involved PQube in the QA process. Additionally, Corecell mentioned that it had traveled to the UK in January 2020 to resolve issues with the publisher but was only offered 20% of the amount owed, contributing to the decision to terminate the contract. Corecell expressed its desire to regain control of the game, stating, "We keep asking PQube to return the game after sending the termination letter. We no longer seek payment from them; we just want to provide updates, fix bugs, create new content, and generate revenue from Europe to support our team." PQube allegedly requested Corecell to sign an addendum, relinquishing its right to sue and maintaining confidentiality. However, Corecell refused, citing the termination letter's effectiveness and the potential violation of its intellectual property if PQube continued to sell the game. GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to PQube for further comment. The publisher claimed it had discussions with Corecell regarding updates after AeternoBlade 2's release, with the developer agreeing to address significant quality issues. PQube alleged that the updates never materialized, and the studio became unresponsive. PQube stated it was still prepared to pay the full guarantee for the title and had sent proposals to return the title's rights to Corecell over the years, which the studio allegedly failed to acknowledge. The rights to the console versions of AeternoBlade 2 were released before the agreement term ended. In a statement, PQube explained, "We have always strived to provide focus and commitment to maximize results for our partners and support them fully throughout the product life cycle. When challenges arise, we seek to resolve them fairly and reasonably. We will continue to focus on doing a great job for our partners and work to develop and improve all aspects of our business." The original dispute began when Corecell accused PQube of withholding funds owed to the studio. Corecell released a statement on Twitter, explaining that the publishing company had not fulfilled its obligations to pay the minimum guarantee in full. The developer stated that issues began after PQube published AeternoBlade 2 in 2019 across multiple platforms. "We tried to resolve this issue with PQube but were unable to reach a solution, leading us to terminate the publishing agreement around September 2020. However, PQube has refused to return publishing control on console platforms and continues to sell and take all revenues from AeternoBlade 2." As a small studio, Corecell noted it lacked the financial resources to pursue legal actions in another country, given its base in Thailand. This allegation comes a week after PQube was accused of exploiting Toge Productions' and Mojiken's heritage for funding.