The reveal trailer for the controversial Aeon Must Die! has reappeared on Focus Home Interactive’s YouTube channel.
Aeon Must Die! launches 2021 for Windows PC (via Steam), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
The game’s initial reveal trailer was reposted once again to the Focus Home Interactive YouTube channel; the original being unlisted and swamped with dislikes due to allegations against how the developers were treated; which may suggest the legal disputes have been resolved one way or another. Aeon Must Die! was originally announced back in 2018.
Players control the titular Aeon, the emperor of the Void Armada. After being betrayed and stripped of his body by his generals, he merges with the player to seek his revenge.
Travel across the city of Pantheon on a beat ’em up adventure with RPG alignment based on your actions; going berserk and losing yourself, or remaining in control and not being as strong.
You can find the “new” reveal trailer below.
While announced in August 2020 that the game would launch in 2021, at almost the same time former employees of developer Limestone Games accused CEO Yaroslav Lyssenko of stealing the IP and driving them out with “endless crunch, harassment, abuse, corruption, and manipulation.”
His alleged goal was to drive out the employees, finish the game cheaply, and then pursue new goals (such as a VR simulation project) without approval of the CCO or creative team. Staff resigned en-masse, and a letter was sent to the publisher (unnamed in the accusations) demanding an audit.
This confidential letter allegedly ended up in the hands of Limestone Games’ CTO. The CTO allegedly stated the team no longer needed to work until the end of their contract, and pointed to inconsistencies in the letter as proof the complaints were invalid. They allegedly claimed the publisher gave them the letter, and had been told by the CTO that all allegations were lies and should be ignored.
This was then allegedly followed by emails asking the employees to return to work, and then (after legal advise not to return to work) “threatening” calls and messages from Lyssenko inquiring to their whereabouts.
These allegations continue several times over; personal phone calls and Lyssenko’s family demanding employees return and sign backdated contracts, and other letters to the publisher ending up in Limestone Games’ hands.
Employees were ultimately fired for breaching their contract for the letter sent to the publisher in confidence; and despite approval from their attorney removing any NDA-breaking information.
The attorney later allegedly discovered the IP had been “covertly taken” from the founder and was now owned by Lyssenko. This also meant alleged unpaid overtime and other promises by Lyssenko were now “legally nonexistent.”
Despite all the information being sent to the publisher’s legal team, their Head of Legal allegedly stated they had no issues, and the trailer’s release would go ahead as planned.
Focus Home Interactive issued a public statement on the matter on August 7th. While not addressing the allegations directly, they stated they had begun “carefully looking into” the claims.
