{"id":75116,"date":"2026-11-12T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=75116"},"modified":"2026-11-12T16:08:02","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T07:08:02","slug":"developer-of-bishojo-game-purgatory-blue-to-crowdfund-legal-fees-for-lawsuit-over-68000-in-unpaid-funds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/developer-of-bishojo-game-purgatory-blue-to-crowdfund-legal-fees-for-lawsuit-over-68000-in-unpaid-funds\/","title":{"rendered":"Developer of bishojo game Purgatory Blue to crowdfund legal fees for lawsuit over $68,000 in unpaid funds\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Japanese indie developer Endless Summer Studio (Neon Light LCC) announced<\/a> on November 11 that it will launch a crowdfunding campaign to raise legal fees required to pursue action against domestic crowdfunding platform Ubgoe. This comes after Ubgoe allegedly withheld over $68,000 raised for the development of the studio’s visual novel game Purgatory Blue<\/strong>. The new campaign will be hosted on Ci-en starting November 13, with a target of 610,000 yen or approximately $3,800. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four years in the making, Purgatory Blue is a bishojo sci-fi visual novel in which the protagonist attempts to save a girl who has become invisible to everyone but him. The story takes place in a near-future Japan, where an unknown energy source is discovered in Tokyo Bay, turning the country into the world’s largest energy powerhouse overnight. Alongside interactions with a cast of beautiful girls, the story unfolds as you uncover government conspiracies and the dark sides of the energy-generating technology. Offering around 15 hours of gameplay, the project is aiming for completion in May 2027. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Following Purgatory Blue’s initial public reveal in 2024, the developers launched a crowdfunding campaign for the game on Ubgoe in 2025. By the end of the campaign, the project had raised 10.93 million yen (about $68,000 USD) from 485 backers, equivalent to 156% of its target. However, according to the project’s leader cittan* (Fumihisa Tanaka), Ubgoe has not transferred any of the money to the developers to this day. The platform missed the original payment deadline in November 2025<\/a>, as well as all subsequent dates it had indicated as “expected payment dates.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ubgoe has also been involved in disputes surrounding other projects, most prominently Shibuya Scramble Stories<\/a>, the latest game by 428: Shibuya Scramble director Jiro Ishii. The crowdfunding platform’s website has also been inaccessible since April<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Following the dispute over Purgatory Blue’s development funds, Neon Light retained a lawyer in January 2026. From February 2026 onward, the company began taking steps to file a criminal complaint with local police, alleging that Ubgoe representative Kazuo Okada had committed embezzlement in the course of business. The police’s white-collar crimes division subsequently began investigating bank accounts and related matters.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the latest update from the team, Neon Light will launch a new crowdfunding campaign meant to cover legal fees for pursuing civil litigation against Ubgoe, alongside the criminal complaint that’s already underway. The team has already covered part of the initial expenses related to legal counsel and litigation. However, since the amount being claimed is as high as $68,000, the associated legal fees are also substantial. The developers say they decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign because they weren’t able to immediately cover remaining expenses, which total 512,380 yen or around $3,200. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The campaign is scheduled to run on Ci-en from 8 PM on November 13 (JST), with a target of approximately 610,000 yen (this sum accounts for platform fees). According to cittan*, their lawyer has explained that the chances of recovering the funds through the civil lawsuit are low. Nevertheless, the team intends to proceed with legal action in order to honor its commitments to backers.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Purgatory Blue<\/a> is planned for release on PC via Steam and DLsite. Development is currently progressing toward release sometime in or after July 2027. The crowdfunding campaign to cover legal expenses will last from November 13 to November 30. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Endless Summer Studio has paid initial litigation fees, but is looking for support for the remainder of expected expenses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":75136,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","autoblue_enabled":true,"autoblue_custom_message":"","autoblue_shares":[{"did":"did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2","date":"2026-11-12T13:00:13+00:00","uri":"at:\/\/did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3n24jm7sq4n2h","response":"{\"uri\":\"at:\/\/did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3n24jm7sq4n2h\",\"cid\":\"bafyreiefv5qdx4ftlbaoqrpqkmv3s4zzxxg365x7hpyorjvf6t4egbqdfq\",\"commit\":{\"cid\":\"bafyreihue26ag4o5uv4ayayy5uemjqyijisahrbtiyisf5gys62v4vojue\",\"rev\":\"3n24jm7sxwn2h\"},\"validationStatus\":\"valid\"}"}],"autoblue_post_url":"","autoblue_publish_document":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[64,62,3],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-75116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-game-development","category-indie-games","category-news","tag-japan-related-news"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"yoast_head":"\nDeveloper of bishojo game Purgatory Blue to crowdfund legal fees for lawsuit over $68,000 in unpaid funds\u00a0 - 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