Earlier this week, I was contacted via multiple anonymous sources who seemed to spell out doom and gloom behind closed doors at Anantarupa Studios. And after hearing from more employees, it seems that many are ready to hold the line and fight. While they admit that there has still been a delay in payment, they continue to hold strong, pushing to put out the best possible work for games like Lokapala, while also trying to clarify the ongoing situation at the studio.
Hopefully, This Isn’t a Case of a Few Bad Apples Spoiling the Whole Bunch, but Only Time Will Tell
After learning that my original article was shared by a member of Anantarupa Studios, I reached out for additional clarification as to what was going on. I had the pleasure of speaking with Haryadi Fathani, an 11-year veteran of the company. With his help, I was able to speak with other producers, designers, and developers who have attributed their talents to the studio over the years. While they all agreed and admitted that the salary delays are, unfortunately, true, they’re hoping to clarify the confusion surrounding the situation at the studio.
“Yes, the salary delay is true. There are some signs even before the crisis, like some efficiency here and there,” said Haryadi. “I believe even without the announcement, people can feel it. And honestly, the management should’ve come clean on the situation.”
However, rather than give up hope, Haryadi stated, “To answer the question, I see this endeavor as bigger than ourselves. What we’re trying to achieve here is more than just making games. To provide an IP that our younger generation can be proud of. While letting our nation keep its identity through stories. And to leave a legacy. I’m proud of my work despite its shortcomings. And I won’t leave until it forces me to.”
More Members of the Anantarupa studios Staff Were Quick To Speak Up
Alongside Haryadi, I heard from Nathanael Hadinata, a 2D Artist currently employed with Anantarupa Studios.
When asked about the gaslighting allegations involving a meeting on April 22, 2025, Nathanael stated, “I had a few past experiences while working in Anantarupa that involve these ‘gaslighting’ allegations. From my own perspective (you can read my personal post for details), there are a lot of hard-to-swallow-pill facts when dealing with hardships. Not everyone can easily come to terms with those facts. The idea of suddenly being ‘forced’ to digest this information and accept it might sometimes get translated into them being ‘gaslighted’. But to people who have experienced a lot of challenges that push us to the edge time after time, I would consider Ivan’s and Diana’s speeches comforting and motivational. And I am quite sure this is the case for most of the people who attended the meeting.”
Aditya, involved in Project Management at Anantarupa Studios, echoes the same feelings as Nathanael. “Any Attempts at Gaslighting by the CEO/COO of Anantarupa Studios during the meeting on April 22, 2025, were not true at all,” stated Aditya. “The thing is, we tried to explain the condition and the impact if some employees keep putting internal information to the public.
Working on the more logistical side, it appears that parts of the funding to Anantarupa Studios have been frozen. “I know how hard it is to get investment or funding. But then these false and personal narratives came up and scared our potential investors. And this was also confirmed in the meeting between management and employees on April 22 by our Business Development,” mentions Aditya. “And I can also confirm this from the product side, since some of the product partnerships are also delayed because of this.”
Higher-up Members Aren’t Afraid To Speak Out, Either
The most important bit of knowledge may have come from Yusdi Saliman, Lead Programmer at Anantarupa Studios. After being forwarded my questions by Haryadi, he was quick to respond. While he is not part of upper management, he does report directly to CEO Ivan Chen and COO Diana Paskarina. However, according to Saliman, his opinions are his own.
“First, Ivan and Diana explained why the company was running out of funds and told us about the events leading to November 2024. That’s when all of us were first made aware of the financial troubles,” stated Saliman. “As well as the unfortunate news that salary payments would be delayed. And how they would try to secure some funding so they’d be able to fulfill the company’s obligations to their employees. They then explained why some of those endeavors ultimately failed or got delayed despite their best efforts.”
Saliman went into further detail, stating, “At no point in the meeting—as far as I could tell—did they attempt to lie or wash their hands of the problems. They acknowledged that they were responsible for what happened and gave reasons for why they made the decisions that might have led to this situation. I should add that they also mentioned having stopped taking salaries for longer than the rest of us, and having to drain their personal savings to pay for expenses and financially help employees who had been most impacted by these problems.”
Saliman offers his subjective opinions on the matter
He also mentioned, ” I do think the company could have handled the crisis better. An all-hands meeting on day 1 of the crisis could have gone a long way to alleviating people’s anxiety and making clear where things stood. But the management did have their reasons for not holding that meeting. And I can see where they’re coming from and respect their decision.
“Shortly after the crisis started, they offered us two options: whether to continue working despite the delayed payments or take unpaid leave (e.g., to take on freelance work or look for another full-time job). Now, they did not explicitly mention this, but there was, of course, a third option: to resign from the company. After all, how was it not an option? One could always resign, even if the company had been operating normally. It didn’t need to be spelled out,” according to Saliman.
When asked why employees would stick around, regardless of the salary delay, Saliman had this to say. “Because we need to show everyone — most of all potential investors and business partners — that we’re still alive and kicking, that Lokapala is still out there, that we’re not about to let our most devoted players down, that despite the hardship, the engagement with our community is a reward in and of itself (We love you guys! Keep the complaints coming!), and that we’re still here. We’re showing potential investors that they’ll be funding our perseverance, that they’ll be betting on our downright refusal to go down and stay down, that you can slam us to the ground and we’ll pick ourselves back up, battered and broken, but ready for the next round, until eventually, ultimately, we’ll be strong enough to take on the world if we have to.”
“Stay and Fight, or Leave. That Choice Was Always in Our Hands.”
Furthermore, even more employees stepped forward regarding the situation at Anantarupa Studios. Speaking with Avyrouz, an illustrator for the studio, he retraces what happened during the April 22 meetings. “I was present during the April 22 meeting, and I can say clearly: there was no gaslighting. The CEO explained our financial condition transparently, step by step. With a full timeline, so we could understand how the situation developed over time,” said Avyrouz. “We were given space to ask questions and respond. Some may not like the reality, but that doesn’t mean we were being manipulated. From what I experienced, the communication was direct and honest.”
When asked about the salary delay, Avyrouz expressed his sadness regarding it. But also, he immediately put on his war paint. “That’s how I choose to face this. I don’t waste my energy complaining—I focus on understanding the problem and preparing for what comes next. From the start, the company gave us a choice: stay and fight, or leave. That choice was always in our hands,” states Avyrouz. “And even if someone wants to step away and come back after the problem is solved, that’s okay, too. But I chose to stay. I understand this is a project-based industry, and income isn’t always predictable. Still, I stayed because I believe in what we’re building.”
Even During the Most Difficult of Times, the Anantarupa Studios Group Tries To Keep It Together
Hanna Karunia, a VFX artist at Anantarupa Studios, was also eager to answer any questions. When asked about the gaslighting attempts, Hanna stated, “So what I think and felt is that there’s no gaslighting attempt in that meeting at that moment, because everything that our CEO/COO said was true and they didn’t run away from their responsibility, they even admitted their mistakes.” Hanna also shared her thoughts on the alleged gaslighting via a post on Facebook.
Regarding the salary delay, Hanna admitted, “It’s very painful, it’s hard. And I hope that this kind of thing isn’t normalized. But to respond with chaotic actions is also not acceptable. We should take a more mature and strategic action to tackle this kind of thing.”
“This vision is not something that I can find in other companies in the same sector.”
Finally, I spoke with Ninoi, a current employee who has also been affected by the whole “crisis” currently happening at Anantarupa Studios. When asked about the alleged gaslighting accusations, Ninoi stated the following.
“During the meeting on April 22nd 2025, which I also cared to attend despite my day off, when the CEO and COO (management) explained the chronology of the situation, what they did do wrong or should have done better, the current updates, and what their plans going forward were, those are the facts that you can confirm with other testimonies given by my coworkers.”
Ninoi further clarified, “However, to think what their true intention was, or what others understand about that information, I’d say that is an opinion based on personal judgement, which we are all entitled to have. And my personal interpretation and judgement of their explanation is that they are trying to clarify things on their side.”
Ninoi seems to have plenty of faith in the overall vision of Anantarupa Studios. They stated, “This vision is not something that I can find in other companies in the same sector. I can’t find the same spirit and vision as theirs out there, and I still want to contribute. They bring pride in what I do. And I’m honored to go through all the process, sweet or bitter, together with them. I mentioned that one may not want to be associated with someone with a bad reputation. But I’m still here, working, supporting them, writing my reply to your questions with my name disclosed, because I know this bad rep doesn’t represent them wholly.”
Where Does Anantarupa Studios Go From Here?
Unfortunately for everyone involved, it doesn’t seem that a happy ending is waiting right around the corner. From these testimonials, alongside those from anonymous sources prior, it seems that Anantarupa Studios is doing whatever it can to keep afloat. Salary delays, alongside investment woes, paint a troubling picture for everyone. But it appears that a large number of the team are ready to fight. Pushing forward to see Anantarupa Studios emerge victorious in the end. Many others share their own perspectives outside of these stories, as well.
The world of game development is a difficult and, oftentimes, scary place. You never know what to expect, especially as talented studios continue to be hit with hardships. Regardless, it appears that this is just the beginning of a long and tumultuous fight. I hope for nothing but the best for everyone involved. And that everything can be resolved in a professional, civil manner. Everybody’s voices are equally valid and deserve to be heard, regardless of their location.
The post “We’re Still Alive and Kicking” – Anantarupa Studios’ Developers Reach Out To Share Their Thoughts During Ongoing Studio Crisis appeared first on VICE.
