Horror Inc sues Gun Interactive over Friday the 13th game royalties
The Royalty Rumble: Horror, Inc. Sues Gun Interactive Over Friday the 13th: The Game
The history of Friday the 13th: The Game, once a cult classic, has recently boiled over into a high-stakes legal battle over intellectual property and royalties. Horror, Inc. has filed a major lawsuit against Gun Interactive, alleging that the developer failed to honor its financial obligations related to the game’s success.
The core of the dispute centers on licensing agreements established back in 2015, where Gun Interactive developed and distributed the game under a license involving the rights holders of the Friday the 13th franchise>. The disagreement hinges on how revenue was tracked and distributed over the game’s lifespan, particularly the royalties owed to the franchise owners.
Horror, Inc. contends that Gun Interactive owes the company between $4 million and $4.5 million in additional royalties. The lawsuit stems from an audit that alleged significant gaps in sales data provided by distributors, including major platforms like Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Steam. Horror, Inc. claims that missing documentation, particularly concerning the largest distributor, Sony, interfered with the audit and resulted in underpayment.
Gun Interactive has mounted a vigorous defense, firmly denying the allegations. The company maintains that it has paid more than $18 million in royalties throughout the game’s operational history and asserts that their records confirm all owed payments were made. Gun Interactive suggests that the alleged shortfall is due to disputed accounting methodologies rather than unpaid dues.
Beyond the financial reckoning, the lawsuit also drags in an older legal conflict involving the original film’s screenwriter, Victor Miller, who sought to terminate his copyright interest in the original material. Gun Interactive has argued that this copyright dispute created legal uncertainty that ultimately prevented the development of additional content for the game.
Furthermore, the conflict touches upon creative aspirations for the game itself. Gun Interactive has claimed that they sought to partner with Horror, Inc. on a remaster of Friday the 13th: The Game> to give the title a “real second life.” However, the company asserts that this opportunity never materialized, allowing the license to lapse and leading to the game’s removal from digital storefronts and server shutdown.
The legal battle now pivots on whether Horror, Inc. can successfully prove the failure to pay royalties and whether Gun Interactive can substantiate its claim that all required payments were settled. As the case progresses, the court will ultimately determine the veracity of the accounting records and the extent of the financial obligations tied to this iconic title.
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