BOMBSHELL: DUST and Battlefront Part Ways!
DUST Studio has put out a press release to all their Kickstarter backers saying a split is in the works for the two companies. Get the latest!
First of all, catch up with the legal wrangling between DUST Studio and Battlefront here.
Ok, now take a look at this letter that was sent to all the Kickstarter backers, and was posted to the DUST Tactics and Warfare Group, and said to be posted on DUST’s Kickstarter page on May 10th:
“Dear Babylon Kickstarter Backer,
We are heartbroken to send you this message: Battlefront refuses to pay the amount due for the so called “Wave 2” of the Babylon Kickstarter campaign and therefore Dust Studio cannot deliver the items to Battlefront for distribution.
After four weeks of negotiations we still have not received a purchase order or a payment, regardless of our final and generous discount offer on the debated freebies.
AdvertisementDuring these four weeks Dust Studio has been bullied and blackmailed instead, with
Battlefront demanding the impossible from us in order for them to fulfill their obligations! They have asked us to pay them for editing and graphic design work their staff did on our rulebook, demanding a fee of over US $100,000.00.
They have requested we buy back their Dust stock — the stock that was eventually paid for to the factoring bank precisely with the revenue from the Babylon Campaign KS!Battlefront is holding your money hostage, attempting to force us into an unbearable position and capitulate.
Please accept our apologies but we cannot accept any further humiliation. Our brand has been dragged through the mud and our reputation seriously damaged. Enough is enough!
Dust Studio has manufactured all the units listed as “Wave 2” in good faith but cannot afford nor are we willing to pay for jobs that Battlefront was never hired for in the first place, or for stock of products that have been discounted on the market for the past six months. These issues have nothing to do with the Kickstarter!
Being in breach of both our distribution and the Kickstarter agreements, Battlefront has been notified that our business relationship is officially ended.
AdvertisementWhat happens next? Why are you receiving this letter? A follow-on offer of how to receive the products you ordered will be published Sunday, May 17. In the meantime we strongly suggest that you contact your credit card company and ask for a full refund.
Please accept our most sincere apologies. And thank you for your continued patience and support.
Dust Studio Team
NB: This letter will be published on our official Facebook page Sunday, May 10.”
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Did you catch the key line:
“Being in breach of both our distribution and the Kickstarter agreements, Battlefront has been notified that our business relationship is officially ended.”
The letter’s authenticity has been confirmed to BoLS personally by Paolo Parente.
It has been rough past year for DUST. The company has a beautiful universe with multiple fully fleshed out ranged of fantastic miniatures. While producing great minis on the design and manufacturing front, the company has been dogged of late with issues regarding publishing and distribution partners. About 2 years ago, the DUST license transferred from Fantasy Flight Games to Battlefront. The game got off to a slow rampup and start over at Battlefront but the recent Operation Babylon Kickstarter (which was a big hit on Kickstarter) quickly opened up a rift between DUST Studio and Battlefront that seems to only be getting worse.
We will keep reporting on this story and hope to see the DUST universe come out of this on it’s feet. DUST Tactics and the players out there certainly deserve more and more of Paulo Parente’s inspired vision on the tabletop.
