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38 Studios Skips Payroll in Favor of Paying Back State [UPDATED]

Workers go unpaid as the studio works to make its owed $1.125 million payment to the state of Rhode Island.

38 Studios head Curt Schilling being accosted by reporters following yesterday's meeting with the Rhode Island EDC.
38 Studios head Curt Schilling being accosted by reporters following yesterday's meeting with the Rhode Island EDC.

Coming on the heels of yesterday's circus-like meeting and press conference regarding the developing situation at 38 Studios, WPRI is reporting that the company is in the process of paying its overdue $1.125 million payment to the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, but is doing so at the expense of its own employees.

Current reports state that 38 skipped payroll this week, leaving the more than 300 full-time employees at the company without a paycheck. In addition, a source has told Joystiq that all temp and contract employees had been let go as of this week.

In the wake of the situation at 38, Keith Stokes, the executive director of the RIEDC since 2010 and architect behind the $75 million loan that brought the studio to the state from Massachusetts, has resigned.

38 Studios still has yet to comment publicly on the situation.

UPDATE: Just when you thought this whole thing couldn't get any worse, WPRI now reports that the check 38 Studios reps hand-delivered to the RIEDC has been returned due to insufficient funds.

Alex Navarro on Google+