Bad Juju, the parent company of digital distribution platform Desura and game bundle site Indie Royale, has filed for bankruptcy.

Launched in 2009, Desura describes itself as “a community driven digital distribution service for gamers, putting the best games, mods and downloadable content from developers at gamers fingertips, ready to buy and play.” The platform provides indie developers with an alternative to distribution through Steam, which can sometimes be difficult to break into.

Previously purchased by Linden Lab in 2013, Desura had only been bought by Bad Juju in November of last year. The company has yet to comment on the reports of bankruptcy, but Lisa Morrison, head of developer relations at Bad Juju, confirmed the news in a statement to Gamasutra.

“I asked Tony [Novak, CEO of Bad Juju] for confirmation and all he could tell me was, ‘The lawyers have said I can’t say anything or answer any questions yet, but yes it’s true,” Morrison said.

Morrison stated on her Twitter account that Bad Juju employees had been locked out of their systems and no longer had access to email. “I was told we can’t use any company accounts,” she said, “the courts won’t let anyone process anything, we’re locked out.”

Morrison told Gamasutra that she “had no idea this was coming,” but there had been reports last month that Desura had been late in sending payments to some developers.

“The issues have stemmed from a number of factors coming together in a bad way,” Morrison wrote on Desura’s blog in May. “The acquisition of the company last year has presented us with a number of very difficult issues to tackle, and we have been clearing those hurdles as efficiently as we are able. This has been compounded by the office being relocated, and by the current hospitalization of our CEO.”

In light of the recent news, Morrison expressed sympathy for Novak on Twitter. “I can’t even imagine what he’s going through,” Morrison said. “This was his business…to become seriously ill, and now this…his family must be devastated right now.”

While Bad Juju is going through bankruptcy, it is still unclear what will happen to Desura. The platform could be purchased yet again, but after the recent turmoil, it would be difficult to regain the trust of developers.

Image credit: Desura