Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game dev confirmed to include Mike Zaimont, accused of past sexual harassment

A week before Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game's July 23 release, publisher Paramount Game Studios has confirmed that Mike Zaimont — the former Lab Zero Games CEO previously accused of sexual harassment — is working on the title as an individual contributor at developer Gameplay Group International.

Paramount's confirmation came after Legend of Korra comic artist Irene Koh raised the alarm in a viral Bluesky post on July 15. A PR representative told both PC Gamer and Game Developer that Zaimont is "working specifically on backend programming, engine architecture and netcode." Koh, who contributed to the official Korra comic trilogy, said she was "extremely disappointed" by his involvement, adding that hiring him felt "like it wasn't in the spirit of the IP" given the Avatar franchise's history of embracing inclusivity. Paramount had reportedly gone radio silent on the question before issuing the statement.

Zaimont's history in the fighting game community is long and contentious. In 2020, Twitch streamer Bunny accused him of being "incredibly disrespectful" and "creepy," and tournament organizer Carbon Grey said he had been making "weird, sexual comments" at them for years at fighting game events. Those accusations triggered a mass exodus at Lab Zero — the indie studio behind Skullgirls and Indivisible — after the board tried and failed to push Zaimont out. He dissolved the board, took full control, and eventually laid off nearly everyone who remained. Creative director Mariel Cartwright and CEO Francesca Esquenazi later sued him for wrongful termination and retaliation; Zaimont counter-sued. That legal battle wasn't resolved until April 2026, when a joint statement said the parties had "agreed to resolve" the lawsuit, though settlement terms were never made public. Zaimont had already worked on Diesel Legacy — another fighting game from Gameplay Group International — which PC Gamer reported on in 2023. That game's publisher at the time defended the hire by saying people deserve a chance at a "redemptive arc," a framing Zaimont's former colleagues rejected.

Zaimont has had no public online presence since 2020, and has not responded to the renewed attention. With the game launching July 23, the community is now openly debating whether to buy it — and Koh's post has made sure that choice is an informed one.