Yusuke Ogiso, the head of Tokyo-based software firm OGIX, recently exposed alleged wrongdoing by mobile game developer Poppin Games. He claims that Poppin Games withheld nearly 200 million yen (approximately $1.26 million USD) in outsourcing payments for four games, which he says led OGIX to financial collapse and forced 70 full-time staff members into unemployment.
Ogiso made these accusations on August 28, following news that Poppin Games had signed a new partnership with major gaming company CyberStep to co-develop licensed games. He described the announcement as “absurd” given Poppin Games’ outstanding debts to his company, and stated his intention to file an official protest with CyberStep regarding the deal.
In a subsequent post on X and interview with YouTuber Nakaido, Ogiso detailed that from November 2023 to April 2025, Poppin Games had commissioned OGIX to create four live-service mobile games featuring popular licensed properties including the Mashle: Magic and Muscles anime and the Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian series. While OGIX received initial development payments, Ogiso claims Poppin Games failed to cover ongoing server costs, operational expenses, and revenue sharing obligations.
The companies remain engaged in an ongoing legal battle over these claims, with Ogiso asserting that Poppin Games continues to profit exclusively from the games while OGIX struggles with mounting debt and has been forced to lay off 70 employees. According to OGIX, Poppin Games’ legal counsel reportedly stated, “It’s not that we don’t have the money, but we don’t want to pay because we want to invest it in other games. We intend to pay once we make money from those other games.”
OGIX has maintained the affected games with minimal resources in hopes of recovering some costs through revenue-sharing arrangements. Ogiso noted that preserving the licensed IP relationships was another factor in keeping the games operational.
During a period when Ogiso described Poppin Games’ “unethical conduct worsening,” OGIX temporarily halted game updates, which was communicated to players as a “bug fix.” In response, Poppin Games allegedly begged OGIX not to terminate services, promising to develop a repayment schedule for the outstanding fees. “They showed us their financial statements again, we created a plan together, signed a repayment agreement, and restored the services,” Ogiso explained. “Meanwhile, I continued funding the operations with my personal finances until they could implement that plan. But they never did. I exhausted all my personal funds paying employees, leaving us unable to even afford legal expenses for the lawsuit.”
Despite this reported conflict, Poppin Games continued its business activities, including exhibiting at Tokyo Game Show 2026 and announcing the previously mentioned CyberStep collaboration. Notably, just days after the initial announcement, CyberStep announced it would be terminating the partnership due to “developments that have emerged.” While not explicitly stated, this decision likely stems from the OGIX dispute and Ogiso’s protest.