Fact-Checking Limbus Chibi Leaks: Are the New Sd Character Sprites Official or Fanmade?
By Alexander Ross
Much of the credulity surrounding the images stems from the wide variety of art styles Project Moon legitimately uses outside the game client. The studio frequently commissions or creates distinct SD designs for commercial products sold at its themed diner, HamHamPangPang, located in Suwon, South Korea.
Patrons of the cafe regularly purchase official chibi keychains, acrylic character stands, sticker sheets, and coaster sets featuring simplified renditions of Heathcliff, Faust, and Yi Sang. These commercial illustrations do not use the in-engine combat sprite proportions. They favor a softer, rounder, two-head-tall aesthetic meant for physical manufacturing.
When the so-called leak surfaced, many social media users assumed the files represented upcoming themed cafe merchandise rather than combat rigs. That ambiguity gave the original posters cover to claim they had discovered unannounced promotional assets. Only after commercial merchandise collectors compared the line-art weights with authentic HamHamPangPang releases did the differences become obvious. The leak lacked the production markings and vector linework standard in Project Moon's physical manufacturing runs.
Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.
