Hatoful Boyfriend, a visual novel about romancing pigeons, is undisputedly one of the greatest games of all-time. Unfortunately the folks of Epic apparently don’t recognize the genius of the work or its creator Moa: after Epic bought out Hatoful publisher Mediatonic two years ago, the company hasn’t sent her a single payment.
btw I’ve got no royalty payment for Hatoful Boyfriend from Epic since they acquired Mediatonic back in spring 2021. I don’t think the sales have been zero for two years?🤔
— Moa (@moa810) September 28, 2023
What’s more, Epic’s actions apparently led to the smartphone and PlayStation versions of the game being suddenly delisted, and haven’t contacted Moa or replied to her inquiries even once. While she doesn’t appear to be in dire straits because of it, it’s upsetting to hear about such negligence, especially in the wake of Epic layoffs (a lot of which occurred at Mediatonic). We dread to think what other small and indie creators under the Epic umbrella face similar situations.
喫緊の死活問題ではないんですけど、PlayStation Storeやスマホ版の配信を唐突に終了したのはEpic Games側の都合だったのに、配信権を受領しておいてレポートのひとつも送ってこないってどういうことなの？という話でした。
— Moa (@moa810) September 29, 2023
Moa asks that anyone who wants to support her to “be nice and kind to pigeons and wild birds in your town.” You can also purchase items from the Hatoful shop. Hatoful Boyfriend isn’t currently on Nintendo Switch, but it should be.
Leave a Comment
Written by Amelia Fruzzetti
A writer and Nintendo fan based in Seattle, Washington. When not working for NinWire, she can be found eating pasta, writing stories, and wondering about when Mother 3 is finally going to get an official localization.
