Financial woes hit developer Interzone

Australian developer Interzone is facing closure, with crippling financial problems including over AUD $1 million in unpaid taxes and AUD $500,000 in unpaid wages.

According to an ex-employee of the company, staff have not been paid for months, and a planned move of intellectual property and server hardware could result in vastly reducing the value of the Perth-based studio in the face of an assets sale.

The developer has been working on Interzone Futebol, a game signed to a European publisher, and to be released with the help of Irish developer Big Collision Games.

Interzone's offices in Brazil and China have already been closed at the cost of around 50 jobs, with staff allegedly still unpaid for work.

All staff in the Perth studio have been suspended without pay, although some members of the team have been approached to work with Mike Turner, former VP of business development at Interzone, to complete the game in the US.

GamesIndustry.biz has contacted Interzone management for comment.