Polish studio files winding-up petition against publisher Super over unpaid debts

Polish developer Another Angle Games has filed a winding-up petition (WUP) against publisher Super in a bid to recoup unpaid debts.

A notice served in The Gazette, an official public record that largely consists of statutory notices, shows the petition was presented on May 22, 2023, and will be heard in court at Newcastle District Registry Barras Bridge on July 18, 2023.

It also states that any other parties intending to appear at the hearing of the petition (whether to support or oppose it) must provide notice by July 17, 2023.

It's a development that'll raise eyebrows for a number of reasons. For starters, it has only been two years since Super and Another Angle Games partnered to bring tactical RPG Shadow of the Road, to market.

The title was initially slated to release in 2022 but has subsequently been delayed. It currently has no release window on Steam.

Although a winding-up petition can be issued once a company owes its creditors £750 or more (it's currently unclear how much the studio is owed by Super), the process is described by The Gazette as a "last resort" for those seeking payment that can result in the petitioned company being liquidated.

"The courts do not look on it as a debt recovery process, rather that the company can't pay its debts and should be wound up so that liquidation (a collective process) can be used to collect in the company's assets and distribute them amongst creditors pari passu (equally), after secured creditors and costs," reads an explainer on The Gazette.

"WUPs are advertised in The Gazette as public notices. They are very serious legal actions and can lead to the company’s bank accounts being frozen. Once the WUP is public knowledge, suppliers and lenders may want to cease supply, further exacerbating the company’s problems."

The UK government website adds that creditors must be able to prove that a company is unable to pay them in order to achieve compulsory liquidation. It also states that filing a petition costs £302 in court fees alongside a £2,600 petition deposit.

Super rebranded from "Super Dot Com" to "Super Good Games" in August last year (thanks GI.biz), but is still operating under the legal name Super Dot Com.

Since the turn of the decade, Super has helped launch new studios such as Gruby Entertainment and Adept Games, and prior to that launched a funding initiative specifically targeted at Unreal Engine developers.

Writing on its website, Super pledges to provide "full-scale publishing" via a "comprehensive service package combining broad and effective marketing support with in-depth project consultation."

The company says it's currently involved with a myriad of projects such as Deadlink, Deflector, Alchemist Adventure, Retro Machina, and Tilt Pack, but makes no mention of Shadow of the Road.

Game Developer has reached out to Super and Another Angle Games for comment.