UK Publisher Accused of Misusing Developer's Cultural Background for Funding Purposes

A controversy has emerged surrounding UK-based publisher PQube Games, with two Indonesian studios, Toge Productions and Mojiken Studio, coming forward with accusations of exploitation. The studios claim that PQube Games utilized their Indonesian background to obtain a diversity grant from a prominent platform in August 2020, intended to support underrepresented developers during the pandemic. Instead of distributing the grant funds as intended, PQube Games allegedly withheld the information and used it to their commercial advantage. The developers only discovered the true amount and purpose of the grant in March this year. As a result, Toge Productions and Mojiken Studio have terminated their publishing agreement with PQube Games, citing a breach of trust and predatory practices. However, the studios claim that PQube Games is refusing to relinquish publishing control on console platforms. In response to the allegations, PQube Games stated that they have fulfilled all obligations under their publishing agreement and provided significant additional funding to support the development, porting, and marketing of the game. The company views the studios' actions as an attempt to unilaterally impose revised terms and will address the matter through appropriate channels.