Creator of Thorgal Unhappy with Mighty Koi Collaboration: "I Feel Deceived And Embittered"

Due to growing concerns about the development process of a video game based on the Thorgal comic book series, Grzegorz Rosiński decided to release the following statement via CD-Action. Here is the full text:

With great sadness and deep disappointment, I watch as the Thorgal video game project, which was supposed to be a major milestone in the history of this series, has become entangled in chaos and uncertainty caused by Mighty Koi.

When I granted the license for the game, I believed I was entrusting my work to people who would treat it with the respect, professionalism, and responsibility it deserved. Today, I feel cheated.

I cannot deny that many people ask me how I could have agreed to entrust Thorgal’s rights to a company that, at the time of signing the contract, had no experience in the video game industry. And I myself ask that same question today.

According to the verbal and written declarations made to me by Mr. Marcin Grzegórski prior to negotiations and contract signing, Mighty Koi (then called 4Gate) was a studio with an impressive valuation, considering a stock market debut, possessing multiple IP rights, and developing projects based on well-known franchises. These statements appeared credible and professional. At the time, everything suggested that we were dealing with an ambitious studio, fully financially secured, and ready to execute the project at the highest level.

Unfortunately, over time, it became evident that none of this information was true, and the studio never reached the claimed valuation nor possessed the licenses for the mentioned IPs.

I feel deceived. I am an artist, not a businessman. Acting in good faith, I trusted and believed in the assurances that the studio had the necessary resources and structure to complete this project. Today, I see how deeply my trust was misused.

I do not have full insight into the internal situation at Mighty Koi, but one thing is clear to me – I am concerned by the lack of transparency, the absence of concrete evidence proving the existence of declared investments and promised resources. I hope this issue will be clarified immediately, and if it turns out that Mighty Koi is incapable of completing this project, consequences must be enacted as soon as possible.

It is incredibly painful for me to see Thorgal entangled in such an uncertain and disappointing situation. This character and its story deserve better treatment.

Grzegorz Rosiński

Creator and co-owner of Thorgal IP rights

Together with Karol Laska, we have been monitoring the internal situation at Mighty Koi for some time, as you can read in our investigative report covering the past six years of the company’s operations under Marcin Grzegórski and Karolina Majdzińska.

Thorgal is a cult comic book series written by Jean Van Hamme and illustrated by Grzegorz Rosiński. It achieved great success not only in French-speaking markets but is also fondly remembered in Poland.

In March 2024, the first trailer for the video game adaptation of the series was released, with Mighty Koi promising a game that could rival The Witcher. The first trailer was published on IGN’s official channel.

Unfortunately, in recent months, there have been increasing reports about the studio’s struggles. The first public warning came from composer Michał Korniewicz, who accused Mighty Koi’s leadership – Marcin Grzegórski and Karolina Majdzińska – of failing to pay salaries. Grzegórski insisted that payments would be made within a week, which Korniewicz later confirmed on his LinkedIn profile.

However, the salary issues extended beyond Michał Korniewicz and his team, as later reported by Strefa Inwestorów. According to anonymous employees, an agreement was supposedly reached between the staff and Mighty Koi’s management, but when the payment deadline passed, no one received their wages.