SkullGirls

[Dorothy]

I was wondering how this is going.

So the big trial is next year?

 

[Ah ha']

View attachment 7003065
Looks like the case is finally headed for a jury trial... in 2026. Who knows what else Mariel and Francesca might try to delay.

I don't think Mike would stop for anything other than a massive settlement (considering the whole "everyone is resigning from Lab Zero" stunt put him in millions of dolllars of debt) AND a public apology, confession of guilt. If this actually does go to trial though, it's going to end with one side's career(s) definitively, irreparably ruined.

Either: Mariel/Franny win and get to continue to mutilate the corpse of Skullgirls, Clock Tower, and whatever other myriad of IPs they can get their hands on before Future Club inevitably meets the same fate as Lab Zero. Mike gets blackballed from the gaming industry and is eternally outcast like Vic Mignogna, a victim of vague bullshit allegations scrounging by via obscure projects with no advertising.

or, Mike gets Lab Zero's debts paid off, has definitive legal proof that he was backstabbed and uses the ruling to rebuild his bridges in the professional gaming industry while Future Club meets an early end and Mariel Cartwright never finds work in the gaming industry again (at least as a director) aside from doing social media promo art for Sonic the Hedgehog with Tyson Hesse, her husband.

Fully hoping Mike pulls off a win here.

I am also hoping he pulls off a win, I've spoken to Mike in person before and on dustloop a hundred years ago and he seemed to me to be a pretty level headed individual, granted I dont know him super well but he did not give me any bad vibes and he didn’t act stereotypically jewish in my presence,
Even offering to cover my meal.

 

[No Shot Bucko]

View attachment 7003065
Looks like the case is finally headed for a jury trial... in 2026. Who knows what else Mariel and Francesca might try to delay.

I don't think Mike would stop for anything other than a massive settlement (considering the whole "everyone is resigning from Lab Zero" stunt put him in millions of dolllars of debt) AND a public apology, confession of guilt. If this actually does go to trial though, it's going to end with one side's career(s) definitively, irreparably ruined.

Either: Mariel/Franny win and get to continue to mutilate the corpse of Skullgirls, Clock Tower, and whatever other myriad of IPs they can get their hands on before Future Club inevitably meets the same fate as Lab Zero. Mike gets blackballed from the gaming industry and is eternally outcast like Vic Mignogna, a victim of vague bullshit allegations scrounging by via obscure projects with no advertising.

or, Mike gets Lab Zero's debts paid off, has definitive legal proof that he was backstabbed and uses the ruling to rebuild his bridges in the professional gaming industry while Future Club meets an early end and Mariel Cartwright never finds work in the gaming industry again (at least as a director) aside from doing social media promo art for Sonic the Hedgehog with Tyson Hesse, her husband.

Fully hoping Mike pulls off a win here.

I'm definitely looking forward with great interest to seeing whether April brings a fresh and hopefully satisfying update on this.

Like holy fuck! These lol-suits legitimately take years to reach any kind of closure… or, in the rare/unforeseen case, a “settlement.”

I’m really hoping Mike wins and owns these two bitches for everything he’s had to go through.

Also, I might be misremembering, but a while back the futureclub website was either taken down, purged, or showing as unavailable. I just checked again and now it seems to be back up? Most of their socials (excluding Troonsky) are working too, even if they’re inactive.

I thought the failed crowdfunding for their gay magical-girls slop game was the final nail in the coffin and everyone would GTFO while they still could… but apparently I was wrong since the site is still up and running. Damn. :/

Anyway, fingers crossed for MikeZ. The bro deserves to have his name cleared and more importantly to receive public apologies from every single one of these fake pieces of shit.

 

[DocAwe]

Would be sweet justice if MikeZ got his game back.

 

[No Shot Bucko]

Was browsing the skullgirls steam forum i found this thread that someone been following to the Hidden Variable Studios vs. Autumn Games lolsuit

Bro wrote:
It essentially is a denial to seal portions of the case from the eyes of the general public. Seems like Hidden Variable didn't want portions of the contract to be seen by Joe Q. Gamer. The judge denied that request. But what's really helpful about this document is that it lists the court case number: 25STCV06241

This not only confirms that the case HAS been filed with the Los Angeles County courts (before we only had preliminary, unfiled documents), but it gives us a case number we can look up in the link i shared above. Now anyone perusing this thread can also look at the docket and see what has been filed with the courts.

and the next hearing is scheduled in May.

Besides the recent efforts on hosting tournaments & advertising them via Troonsky with Beowulf's presence. i don't buy nor going to believe anything Autumn Games says. neither Hidden Variable ft Future Club all of them can fuck off for butchering the game soul.

Anyways this one will take way more years than the Lab Zero Games vs Mariel would take, I tell you that much

 

[Neil]

Apparently Mariel has filed for a tentative "conditional" settlement in the case, about a week or two before the trial was supposed to begin.

A request for dismissal will be filed on May 25th, apparently.

An article from MyNewsLA (oddly enough, published anonymously by a "contributing editor"):

https://mynewsla.com/orange-county/2026/03/28/former-lab-zero-board-members-tentatively-settle-retaliation-suit/

A tentative settlement has been reached in a wrongful termination/retaliation lawsuit filed by two former members of Lab Zero’s board of directors, who alleged the lead designer of the studio behind the “Skullgirls” and “Indivisible” games wrongfully fired the pair of plaintiffs in 2020.

Court papers filed Wednesday with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brock Hammond by attorneys for the ex-board members indicated that a “conditional” resolution had been reached in the long-running dueling litigation and that a request for dismissal will be filed by May 25.

No terms were divulged.


Lab Zero had countersued the women for intentional interference with contractual relations, intentional interference with prospective economic relations, defamation and unfair business practices or acts in violation of the Business and Professions Code.

Mariel Cartwright, who had a background as a game animator, and Francesca Esquenazi, a longtime producer, were fired from the board of directors in August 2020, their suit brought in April 2021 stated. The two women alleged that head designer Mike Zaimont punished them for standing up to his alleged sexual harassment of employees. They also contended that Zaimont made an insensitive comment after George Floyd’s death that “sparked an internet outcry” and embarrassed other Lab Zero workers.

Throughout their Lab Zero employment, Zaimont subjected plaintiffs to a “pervasive campaign of sexual harassment,” including frequent unwanted touching, discussion about the size of his private parts, his sex life and his libido, the suit stated.

Zaimont also made unwelcome comments about the bodies and dress of the two women, according to the suit, which further stated that while Zaimont admitted his conduct was inappropriate, he complained that “now I have to seriously consider whether the company needs to undergo sexual harassment seminars and have a dress code and an office code of conduct, and that sucks, I don’t want to become one of those places.”

Zaimont said in jest that he was Lab Zero’s human resources department and that he could fire employees who challenged him, the suit stated.

A month after the May 25, 2020, death of Floyd in Minneapolis — when a police officer who was later convicted of murder knelt on Floyd’s neck until he died — Zaimont participated in a live-streamed gaming event as a representative of Lab Zero. While commenting on the match while a player was “killing” another in a game, Zaimont jokingly said, “I can’t breathe,” according to the suit.

The comment “sparked an internet outcry” and “deeply embarrassed many on Lab Zero’s team, who viewed them, as did much of the internet, as making light of police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement,” according to the suit.

Although Zaimont apologized, the incident caused employees of Lab Zero and others in the gaming community to break their silence about harassment they allegedly experienced at his hands, both publicly and privately, the suit stated.

In the countersuit, Lab Zero alleged that throughout their employment, Cartwright and Esquenazi facilitated conversations with Zaimont about sex and related topics and later publicly mischaracterized those conversations as harassment.

The countersuit also alleged that the two women began a competing business and discussed recruiting Lab Zero employees.

“After falsely accusing Zaimont of harassment and making public statements against him, (Cartwright and Esquenazi) destroyed Lab Zero’s and Zaimont’s public images, causing Lab Zero to break up and perish,” the countersuit stated.

The article is frontloaded with Mariel and Francesca's claims, with only two or three sentences about Mike's countersuit.

Reading from the docket, it looks like Mike is still requesting monetary sanctions (damages). Earlier this year, Mike got the trial Bifurcated, which separates the trial into two stages, liability/guilt and damages/punishment.

Then he filed 8 pretrial motions:

Motion in Limine NO. 1 TO EXCLUDE EVIDENCE OF CARTWRIGHT'S ALLEGED SEXUAL HARASSMENT COMPLAINT OF 2011 AT REVERGE LABS, CARTWRIGHT'S ALLEGED SEXUAL HARASSMENT COMPLAINT OF 2017 AT LAB ZERO, AND THE DETAILS OF PLAINTIFFS' ALLEGED SEXUAL HARASSMENT COMPLAINTS
Motion in Limine NO. 2 TO EXCLUDE EVIDENCE OF THE DETAILS OF ALLEGED HARASSMENT COMPLAINTS MADE BY THIRD-PARTY EMPLOYEES OF LAB ZERO AND PLAINTIFFS' RELATED COMPILED INVESTIGATIVE DOCUMENT
Motion in Limine NO. 3 TO ADMIT EVIDENCE OF PLAINTIFFS' SEXUAL MESSAGES AND ART AND CARTWRIGHT'S AUGUST 2020 TWEET
Motion in Limine NO. 4 TO EXCLUDE EVIDENCE REGARDING INTERNET ACCUSATIONS, SOCIAL MEDIA CONTROVERSIES, AND PUBLIC COMMENTARY CONCERNING MICHAEL ZAIMONT
Motion in Limine NO. 5 TO EXCLUDE EVIDENCE REGARDING PAYMENT OF DEFENDANTS' LEGAL FEES BY THIRD PARTIES
Motion in Limine NO. 6 TO EXCLUDE EVIDENCE REGARDING THE ANTI-SLAPP PROCEEDINGS AND RESULTING ATTORNEYS' FEES ORDER
Motion in Limine NO. 7 TO ADMIT THE OFFICIAL STATEMENTS OF AUTUMN GAMES / HIDDEN VARRIABLE AND 505 GAMES REGARDING TERMINATION OF THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH LAB ZERO
Motion in Limine NO. 8 TO ADMIT THE LEGAL LETTERS BETWEEN FOCUS HOME INTERACTIVE AND LAB ZERO

2 motions to exclude various allegations, a motion to exclude Twitter commentary around the case (and the BLM incident that sparked the backstabbing, 3 motions to include Mariel and Francesca's sexual messages around the workplace, Lab Zero's partners cutting ties, and Mariel and Francesca's communications with Focus (the company Mariel and Francesca were communicating with behind Mike's back), and two motions to exclude evidence regarding the payment of legal fees.

From Motion Number 6, I assume that Mariel and Francesca lost the Anti-SLAPP motion they tried to use to dismiss Mike's countersuit.

Mariel filed to compel further testimony from Mike as well as sanctions for $4,000 for some reason. From that point on, it was a war of Motions and counter-motioning until the settlement had been reached (but not yet finalized).

I hope Mike gets paid his damages and gets a public apology from Mariel and Francesca. He's luckily been able to find work on things like Diesel Legacy and the new Avatar fighting game, but psychopaths like this in the FGC are still trying to harass him for trying to engage with anyone in public.

 

[No Shot Bucko]

Reading from the docket, it looks like Mike is still requesting monetary sanctions (damages). Earlier this year, Mike got the trial Bifurcated, which separates the trial into two stages, liability/guilt and damages/punishment.

GO STRAIGHT FOR THEIR JUGULARS MIKEY Z! no mercy upon these whores.

2 motions to exclude various allegations, a motion to exclude Twitter commentary around the case (and the BLM incident that sparked the backstabbing, 3 motions to include Mariel and Francesca's sexual messages around the workplace, Lab Zero's partners cutting ties, and Mariel and Francesca's communications with Focus (the company Mariel and Francesca were communicating with behind Mike's back), and two motions to exclude evidence regarding the payment of legal fees.

Defo since they fucked up 100000% the focus deal and even bezul came in clutch to double-confirmed & dispel any bad shit about Mike towards him and even acknowledging that Mike did had some issues and not being that much of an idiot when engaging with others. cuz le autism spectrum.

From Motion Number 6, I assume that Mariel and Francesca lost the Anti-SLAPP motion they tried to use to dismiss Mike's countersuit.

Good fucking news. these whores & their lawyers tried anything just to paint themselves as the rightful ones.

Mariel filed to compel further testimony from Mike as well as sanctions for $4,000 for some reason. From that point on, it was a war of Motions and counter-motioning until the settlement had been reached (but not yet finalized).

I hope Mike gets paid his damages and gets a public apology from Mariel and Francesca. He's luckily been able to find work on things like Diesel Legacy and the new Avatar fighting game, but psychopaths like this in the FGC are still trying to harass him for trying to engage with anyone in public.

I didn't know he was legit involved in the Avatar fighting game please if be helpful to know any source from this.

Diesel totally btw. and i remembered he participated in public in the texas showdown and of coursed most of the matches was broadcasted. he's rusty as hell but he ended up playing the games he's very good at!

You can find a couple of pictures of this event and he looks happy and that brings me joy because after being throw so hard in the floor falsely by the psychopath whore of bunnyayu ¿how this whore doesn't have a thread yet?, nepobaby mariel and backstabber francesca that coulda still working in that shitty hole if wasn't for mike lending her a hand waaaaaaaay back in those days.

Being cancelled after many years and still seeing these random bastards trying to still stir shit to the point of encourage harassment in live events it's just another fucking level of scum behavior. But nothing happened and he gladly played among other players without any crazy fuzz nor drama in the room.


Xeet

Bro is happy and with hopes he keep attending to these events like he did back in the old days without any issues. he did not deserved to be cancelled and regardless of the can't breathe joke meh... it happened but not shielding the fact of his autism spectrum disorder as excuse. still who cares only fucking snowflakes i guess.

 

[DocAwe]

I loved Diesel Legacy.
So much that I goobed out and both it three times. (Switch, steam, PS5 Physical)
The company that's making the Avatar game bought the companies that made DL and "Them Fighting Herds" so no surprise that Mike is working on it.

 

[No Shot Bucko]

So this was posted today from Lab Zero Games Account:


Tweet / A

It's quite the adding salt to the wound when mentioned them being friends over a decade lol. with friends like this? who needs enemies lmao!

But at least this can mean Mike Z keep and his company getting once again back on track to develop games. yes i know he and someone else are the only ones in the company (check their linked in, it legit shows 2 people lol)

Was this the Mike sweep we were expecting? I'm still waiting for these whores to release a very bending over public apology to restore further more Mike's credibility.

 

[Farm Hand]

It's Mike Z's second Twitter activity in five years!

https://x.com/MikeZSez

But is that really it? Not even an apology from those "friends" who destroyed his life with cooked-up allegations in a malicious plot to steal everything from him? Shit still sucks immensely for him if that's the case.

 

[DocAwe]

Good for Mike.
Maybe he can rollback the censorship the hags did.

 

[Terrifik]

Good for Mike.
Maybe he can rollback the censorship the hags did.

read about that toooo but, you games in another castle. ( SKULLGIRLS owned by a different company)
Nice try chuds. ( no changes)(new game but keeps company corpse)

 

[No Shot Bucko]

read about that toooo but, you games in another castle. ( SKULLGIRLS owned by a different company)
Nice try chuds. ( no changes)(new game but keeps company corpse)

Well one lawsuit at least won by the actual right person. at least it's a satisfaction that both of these whores have to pay a big chunk for losing against Mike Z.

Still that leaves us with another lolsuit and it's likely that this one goes all the way til 2028 from the looks of it lol.

I know for sure anything can happen during 2026. after all this year been a clusterfuck when comes to news & happenings. but if Autumn manages to hire another company to take care of it's development on PC/Consoles as well pumping for mobile which is the cow to milk. then who knows what may be the outcome?

Still optimistic that against all odds Hidden variable may seek compensation and no longer working with them. but since these morons was also responsible of the total censorship patch, then i expect both sides to get wrecked as hard as it gets and nobody wins at all from this lolsuit.

The only activity autumn been pushing it's just local tournaments who have been sponsored by kai kennedy beowulf VA. other than the community tournaments hosted and attended by the same braindead community fags: dekillsage, faggotfox and other literal who's.

It's quite a pity no public apology from esquenaziiiii or mariel been issued... i was expecting at least something from em