The work you paid for is only yours if the contract says so
This is the single most expensive misunderstanding in game development. You hire an artist, you pay the invoice, and you assume the art is yours.
Under US copyright law it often is not, unless there is signed paperwork assigning the rights to you.
Studios discover this at the worst possible moment: during a publishing deal, an acquisition, or a falling-out, when ownership of the game’s assets suddenly matters and the contractor still holds the cards.
What a good agreement locks down
A solid independent contractor agreement does four things: it assigns the IP to you, defines exactly what is being delivered and for how much, sets confidentiality so your unreleased game stays private, and clarifies that the person is a contractor rather than an employee.
Get those right up front and most freelance disputes simply never happen.
Other things to cover are promises not to use generative AI, permission to use the work in their portfolio, and even things like non-disparagement so they can’t badmouth you if things go sour.
How we handle it
We build you an agreement tailored to how you actually pay people, with versions for hourly, flat-fee, and royalty arrangements so you can reuse it as your team grows.
Flat fee, and far cheaper than untangling an ownership fight later.