Japanese indie game developer ENDLESS SUMMER Studio (Neon Light LLC) provided an update on the progress of their upcoming sci-fi visual novel Purgatory: Blue on May 14. Project lead and musician cittan* (Fumihisa Tanaka) confirmed that despite the ongoing legal battle between ENDLESS SUMMER Studio and crowdfunding platform Ubgoe, work on the game continues unabated.
Although the studio has yet to receive the pledged funds from Ubgoe, this has led to a temporary halt in outsourced work. Internally, however, development is progressing as scheduled, with the main route scenario nearing completion.
The Purgatory: Blue crowdfunding campaign was initiated on Ubgoe in July 2025, raising over 10.93 million yen (approximately $68.4 thousand USD) and achieving 156% of its initial target. Despite payment deadlines being extended multiple times from November 2025 to February 2026, Ubgoe failed to deliver the funds to the developers. In response, ENDLESS SUMMER Studio lodged a criminal complaint with the Shibuya Police Station, accusing Ubgoe CEO Kazuo Okada of embezzlement. The studio has indicated that it may pursue a full civil lawsuit against Ubgoe and Okada depending on the outcome of the investigation.
Ubgoe, which launched in January 2021 as a crowdfunding platform with a “first ever” zero-fee model for creators, has faced increasing difficulties recently, with multiple reports of withheld funds. Last month, renowned game creator Jiro Ishii revealed that Ubgoe had retained over half of the funds raised for his upcoming project Shibuya Scramble Stories. Moreover, the platform became inaccessible on April 15 and has remained offline for over a month, despite Ubgoe’s claim that it was working to restore server functionality.
In a recent video update, cittan* addressed his supporters, reaffirming his commitment to delivering all promised rewards from the crowdfunding campaign. According to Ubgoe’s terms and conditions, contracts are formed directly between backers and project owners, meaning ENDLESS SUMMER Studio remains obligated to fulfill all commitments regardless of receiving the funds. Consequently, the studio may need to cover reward costs independently until the dispute is resolved.
With cittan* having exhausted his personal savings on the game’s production and intending to recoup costs through crowdfunding, the project is currently sustained by music revenue and support from the subscription platform FANBOX. While some compromises, such as halting all outsourced work, have been necessary, the team remains hopeful and is collaborating with external partners to stabilize their finances. The resolution of the legal dispute with Ubgoe and the recovery of the pledged funds remain uncertain at this time.
Mido