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A Space For The Unbound delayed after developer reports PQube 'diversity fund manipulation'

Indie developer Mojiken has delayed A Space For The Unbound until further notice after publisher PQube reportedly manipulated diversity funds for its own financial gain.
Morgan Shaver
Morgan Shaver
Mojiken
2

Indie developer Mojiken has delayed its upcoming slice-of-life adventure game, A Space For The Unbound, until further notice after reports of UK-based publisher PQube Games manipulating funds acquired through a diversity grant for its own personal gain.

On Twitter, the developer shared information about the game’s delay and reasoning behind it, noting that PQube “used our position and heritage as developers from Indonesia to obtain a diversity fund from a well-known console platform.”

The funds from the grant were supposed to be used to help underrepresented game developers, particularly those struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, Mojiken reports that PQube intentionally withheld information about the grant, as well as grant funds.

The developers go on to point out how PQube not only hid facts and details about the grant from them, but also added it as a “recoupable minimum guarantee” and used it to negotiate “the increase of their revenue share.” Mojiken didn’t find out what PQube Games had been doing with the funds until March 2022. Once that information was brought to light, Mojiken was left feeling exploited, and decided to terminate the contract with PQube Games as a result.

Screenshot from A Space From The Unbound showing three characters standing in an empty classroom.
© Mojiken

To make matters worse, rather than cleanly sever ties (or try to make things right), PQube has proceeded to make things even more difficult for the developers by refusing to return publishing control for console platforms back to them.

While the actions by PQube Games are both despicable and infuriating, both Mojiken and PC publisher Toge Productions have added to the original statement that they discourage people from pursuing negative and harmful forms of retaliation such as review bombing or boycotting other PQube published titles.

PQube has since responded to Mojiken's allegations in a statement made to VGC. In it, they not only claim zero responsibility for what reportedly happened, but even go so far as to point fingers at Toge Productions for the difficulties they've been facing. With this, it'll be interesting to see moving forward how the situation develops, and we'll be sure to keep you posted here at Shacknews. 

Overall, we also wish Mojiken and Toge Production the best of luck in dealing with the fallout from PQube Games, and look forward to playing A Space For The Unbound once the developers are in a better place to release the game. With that in mind, if you’d like to learn more about A Space For The Unbound, check out the game’s Steam page and while you’re there, note that you can support the developers by adding the game to your wishlist.

Senior Editor
Senior Editor

Morgan is a writer from the frozen wastelands of Maine who enjoys metal music, kpop, horror, and indie games. They're also a Tetris fanatic who's fiercely competitive in games like Tetris 99... and all games in general. But mostly Tetris. You can follow Morgan on Twitter @Author_MShaver.

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