The Pixel Sprout Studios lawsuit is a wrongful termination case filed February 10, 2025, in Los Angeles County Superior Court by former employee Kendra Smith against the studio and its director, Bruce Ta. The complaint alleges wrongful termination, discrimination, and retaliation in violation of California labor and employment laws, and it puts a formal legal frame around complaints that former workers at the Sun Haven developer have aired publicly for years.1Trellis. Kendra Smith vs. Pixel Sprout Studios LLC, et al.
What the Complaint Alleges
The case is docketed as 25STCV03791 and categorized as a wrongful termination action under labor and employment law. Beyond wrongful termination, discrimination, and retaliation, the filing references additional claims beginning with “intentional,” though the full cause of action is not visible in the public docket summary. Smith is represented by attorney Christopher Brian Conkle. The case remains pending as of the most recent docket activity available.1Trellis. Kendra Smith vs. Pixel Sprout Studios LLC, et al.
Pay and Working Conditions Alleged by Former Workers
For years before Smith filed, current and former contributors described the studio’s pay practices in unflattering terms online. A detailed account posted by the partner of a former developer alleged that contract workers were paid as little as $15 per hour without medical insurance while being expected to work full-time and exclusively for the studio. The same account claimed a lead writer quit after alleging pay of $7 per hour for specialized work.
According to that account, director Bruce Ta discouraged employees from discussing their pay and recruited workers from countries with weaker economies in order to pay below the U.S. minimum wage. Those overseas workers were allegedly referred to internally as “The C-Team.”
A January 2023 Glassdoor review from a former contractor described being let go after two days and never being paid for hours worked.2Glassdoor. Pixel Sprout Studios Employee Review
The Missing Developer Credits
The other running complaint against the studio concerns credit. Former contributors say Sun Haven‘s credits section lists only Kickstarter backers and leaves out the artists, programmers, writers, VFX creators, and character designers who worked on the game. In an industry where shipped-title credits carry real weight in hiring, former workers have described the omission as professionally damaging.
Volunteer translators say they were treated similarly. Community discussion on Steam indicates the studio initially accepted volunteer translations, then removed and replaced them with in-house work after the volunteers asked to be credited.3Steam Community. Sun Haven Community Discussion Players pushed the studio on Discord and social media to add proper credits; those requests reportedly went unaddressed.
What Is Verified and What Is Not
Participants in the Steam forums have acknowledged that many of the working-conditions claims remain unverified, describing the situation as involving “allegations and conjecture.” Some users called for boycotts and review-bombing; others cautioned against acting on unconfirmed reports.3Steam Community. Sun Haven Community Discussion Pixel Sprout Studios does not appear to have publicly responded to the allegations. Smith’s lawsuit is the first time the accusations have been tested in a forum that requires evidence rather than assertion.