There’s been a lot of discussion going around about the Linux version because of some recent news regarding its development so we felt it was necessary to clarify a few things.

MikeZ gave an update on a recent Skullgirls stream this past Friday, Sept 12, 2014. You can view the archive here, but the main points are these:

The most recent volunteer helping us with the Linux build, who was later hired to work on the PS4 version, is no longer working on either of them.

Someone new has the source code and is working on part of the port. We’ve also been contacted by several other interested parties. All of them will be getting code access very soon, and we’ll be setting them up to coordinate with each other on development.

We’re willing to NDA a small army of people. However, they all MUST be NDA’d because a large portion of the codebase is proprietary.

As of this writing, three new people besides the one mentioned above are already taking a look at things. We’ll be bringing them up to speed so development the Linux port of Skullgirls can pick up where it left off. If you think you have the experience needed to help port Skullgirls to Linux we’ll be happy to consider you. Send us an email along with your CV/experience at info[at]labzerogames(dot)com and we’ll see about getting you set up.

Now, some clarifications, since there’s been some wild speculation and misconceptions regarding our general approach to the port and the way it was “included” in our crowdfunding campaign.

During our crowdfunding campaign, someone approached us volunteering to port the game to Linux. We did not actively solicit a volunteer simply so we could say we were doing a port and attract more backers.

The Linux port has been a volunteer effort since the very beginning.

The Linux port was never included in our budget for the Indiegogo campaign. The Indiegogo campaign was strictly for funding new content. Nowhere in the breakdown of our budget for the Indiegogo campaign is “Linux port” included. Nor is “PC port” included for that matter.

Some have misinterpreted our inclusion of a free download of the Linux port for campaign backers at the $30 tier and above upon its completion as a promise that we, Lab Zero, would handle its development. However, it was included as a backer reward only – one that we hope we’ll still be able to deliver with the help and support of volunteers willing to work on it.

The above misconception regarding the Linux port has also led some people to believe that we are soliciting volunteers to do work on a port that we promised we would do ourselves, which is also untrue. We strongly believe in due pay for work done, and wish we could pay someone appropriate wages to port the game to Linux, but we simply don’t have the budget for that.

Some quick Q&A!

Why have updates on the Linux version been so infrequent?

Because updates from us regarding the port are dependent on the volunteers working on it to update us on their progress, and since it’s a volunteer effort, progress is understandably slow.

Why is the Linux port a volunteer effort? Didn’t you make over $800,000 in your crowdfunding campaign?

The Linux port started as a volunteer effort because someone approached us volunteering to do the port. The extra money raised beyond our initial $150,000 goal went to more content for the game and not to ports. That means none of the extra money raised went to the PC port either.



If you think that’s enough money to develop all of the extra content we promised, and produce all of the rewards for campaign backers, and still fund a proper port paying proper programmer salaries, then we don’t know what to tell you.

Will the Linux port of Skullgirls EVER happen?

If people keep stepping up to do it, then it will happen eventually.