Ultra Pro Wrestling’s Troubled History Includes Unpaid Staff & Delay — Report
Ultra Pro Wrestling’s Troubled History Includes Unpaid Staff & Delay — Report
Ojas KulkarniFri, September 4, 2026 at 2:20 AM UTC
0
Photo Credit: Ultra Pro Wrestling
Ultra Pro Wrestling was announced as a spiritual successor to WWF No Mercy, one of the most beloved wrestling games of all time. However, a new report from Insider Gaming has revealed serious problems surrounding the game’s development, including unpaid work, repeated delays, missing rewards, and internal disputes.
New report details Ultra Pro Wrestling development issues, unpaid work and missing belts
Sam Vallely, founder of Hyperfocus Games, has previously denied claims that Ultra Pro Wrestling was a scam. In January 2025, he addressed criticism from fans after concerns about the game’s progress grew. At the time, Vallely revealed that he was the project’s only programmer.
He wrote, “For programming and actual game engine development, there’s only me.” Vallely also strongly denied accusations that the project was a scam. He even encouraged fans to contact members of his team to verify his claims. “To anyone out there who thinks there is the slightest possibility of this being a scam, here’s a real easy way to find out.”
However, months later, five of the six people he mentioned had reportedly left the project. The game launched a Kickstarter campaign in February 2023 with a £17,000 target. It eventually raised £61,801, or approximately $83,000.
Around 156 wrestlers and estates reportedly signed agreements with the project, including The Hardys, Demolition, and the families of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Candido. Despite the funding, the game has still not been released.
There is also no playable demo, while the project’s Patreon remains active. The report also claims that development suffered because Vallely was working as the sole programmer. In 2023, he accidentally deleted the entire game project while attempting to manage a GitHub repository.
Fortunately, an older copy existed elsewhere. This allowed for the recovery of the project. An investor reportedly spent more than two years asking for a playable build. When one finally arrived in September 2024, the investor said it did not work.
Advertisement
He wrote, “Having one programmer is the problem. It’s madness.” He later added, “Games aren’t made like this. Games die like this.”
Another major issue involved unpaid contributors. According to the report, several people worked on Ultra Pro Wrestling without receiving payment, with at least one former employee reportedly spending around $10,000 of their own money on the project.
Vallely denied that employees were required to work without compensation. “I also deny that HFG had a body of salaried employees who were required to work without pay or finance the project without agreed compensation.”
The project also promised around 50 physical championship belts to high-level Kickstarter backers. Internal quotes reportedly placed the cost at between $675 and $875 per belt, meaning the total could have reached approximately $44,000.
Vallely has denied several of the major allegations. As of the report, Ultra Pro Wrestling remains unreleased, with its Patreon still active and a demo reportedly expected later this year.
Read More: Ric Flair Doesn’t Want to Be in ‘Same Category’ as Eric Bischoff Over Omega-Ospreay Take
The post Ultra Pro Wrestling’s Troubled History Includes Unpaid Staff & Delay — Report appeared first on Wrestlezone.
Source: “AOL Money”
