Jakarta. Brandoville Studios, an animation company based in Menteng, Central Jakarta, is facing serious legal scrutiny after investigations revealed severe labor law violations and abuse. Authorities are now searching for the Hong Kong national and head of the studio, as they continue their investigation into these allegations.

The studio, which also has a branch in Hong Kong, has been involved in several high-profile projects, including AAA video games such as NBA 2K17, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Dark Souls III, The Last of Us, StarCraft: Remastered, Mortal Kombat, and Uncharted.

Hari Nugroho, Head of the Jakarta Provincial Manpower, Transmigration, and Energy Office, confirmed the findings during a press conference on Tuesday. "The company has been found to have committed labor-related criminal offenses," Hari said during a visit to the studio's office on Tuesday.

Jakarta-Based Game Studio Involved in AAA Games Under Fire for Alleged Abuse and Worker Exploitation

The investigation revealed that Brandoville Studios had not compensated employees for overtime work and had failed to report its additional branch. "We will be coordinating with the police to address these violations," Hari added.

The police are currently searching for Cherry Lai, the head of Brandoville Studios. Muhammad Firdaus, Chief of the Central Jakarta Metro Police Criminal Investigation Unit, indicated that Lai is a key suspect in the case. "We are still looking for Lai and will interrogate her once she is found," Muhammad Firdaus said.

The allegations against Brandoville Studios gained widespread attention after a former employee, identified as CS, shared her harrowing experience on social media. CS reported severe abuse, including excessive working hours, threats, and physical punishment. She claimed that after a miscarriage, she was further punished by being forced to engage in demeaning activities.

Further investigations are underway, with the police interviewing additional witnesses, including former employees of Brandoville Studios, to gather more evidence on the company's labor violations.