# HAGGIS PINBALL IN LIQUIDATION

**Source:** Pinball News Website  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2024-07-18  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2024/07/18/haggis-pinball-in-liquidation

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## Analysis

Haggis Pinball, an Australian boutique manufacturer founded in 2018 by Damian Hartin, has entered liquidation after failing to secure financing. The company released Celts (original design) and Wraith, then pivoted to remaking classic Bally games (Fathom Revisited, Centaur Revisited) but faced repeated production delays, parts availability issues, and communication breakdowns. Pre-order customers are now classified as unsecured creditors and unlikely to recover payments.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Haggis Pinball ceased trading and appointed liquidators due to failure to secure financing — _Official regulatory documentation and liquidator appointment; confirmed by formal resolution and Cathro & Partners appointment_
- [HIGH] Celts was the company's first commercial release but sold in only modest numbers despite positive reviews — _Direct statement in article describing release and commercial performance_
- [HIGH] Production of Fathom Revisited slowed amid parts availability issues and lack of funding — _Article states 'Production of the Fathom remake appeared to have slowed amid rumours of parts availability issues and lack of funding'_
- [HIGH] In February 2024, Damian warned buyers that the company needed to refinance, reorganize processes, and abandon just-in-time parts delivery — _Article documents February communication to buyers about restructuring needs_
- [HIGH] Direct purchasers from Haggis are classified as unsecured creditors and are very unlikely to receive any refunds — _Legal/creditor hierarchy explanation in article: 'Buyers of the company's pinball machines who purchased directly with Haggis are classed as unsecured creditors and are amongst the last to be paid back'_
- [HIGH] Centaur Revisited pre-orders were announced mid-way through Fathom Revisited production — _Timeline documented in article showing overlapping pre-order campaigns_
- [HIGH] Damian Hartin was very active on social media initially with near-daily development videos, but communication gaps gradually lengthened from days to weeks to months — _Article describes communication pattern change: 'the gaps between the updates turned from days to weeks, and then to months'_
- [HIGH] No further communication received from Damian or Haggis Pinball since February 2024 — _Article states 'Since then, no further communication has been received from Damian or Haggis Pinball'_

### Notable Quotes

> "It should serve as a salutary lesson about the dangers of pre-paying, either in part or in whole, for a machine from a new manufacturer."
> — **Pinball News**
> _Industry warning about pre-order risks; establishes Haggis as cautionary tale for the pinball community_

> "Many cautioned that the Centaur Revisited pre-order funds might be needed to finance ongoing Fathom Revisited production, a suggestion which appeared to gain traction"
> — **Pinball News (reporting community concern)**
> _Documents early warning signs of financial instability and potential misuse of pre-order funds_

> "Buyers who paid either a deposit or the full purchase price through one of Haggis's distributors should have some level of protection as their contract is with the distributor and not Haggis."
> — **Pinball News**
> _Key distinction between direct and distributor purchasers regarding refund prospects_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Haggis Pinball | company | Australian boutique pinball manufacturer founded 2018, now in liquidation; produced Celts, Wraith, Fathom Revisited, and Centaur Revisited |
| Damian Hartin | person | Founder and sole owner of Haggis Pinball; owns all 5,000 issued shares; voted to liquidate company |
| Celts | game | Original Haggis Pinball design; first commercial release; received positive reviews but modest sales |
| Wraith | game | Original Haggis Pinball design, originally titled Ghosts; developed alongside Celts |
| Fathom Revisited | game | Remake of classic Bally Fathom; launched April 2021; suffered significant production delays and delamination issues; offered in Classic and Mermaid Limited Edition |
| Centaur Revisited | game | Remake of classic Bally Centaur; announced mid-2023 during Fathom production; offered Oblivion Edition; pre-orders taken but not fulfilled |
| Cathro & Partners | company | Appointed liquidators for Haggis Pinball; tasked with asset liquidation and creditor distribution |
| Flip N Out Pinball | company | Haggis Pinball distributor; customers have contract protection vs direct Haggis purchases |
| Nitro Pinball | company | Haggis Pinball distributor; customers have contract protection vs direct Haggis purchases |
| RS-Pinball | company | Haggis Pinball distributor; customers have contract protection vs direct Haggis purchases |
| Pinball Heaven | company | Haggis Pinball distributor; customers have contract protection vs direct Haggis purchases |
| Bally | company | Classic pinball manufacturer; Fathom and Centaur were original Bally designs remade by Haggis |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Manufacturer failure and liquidation, Pre-order risk and customer protection, Production delays and supply chain issues
- **Secondary:** Classic game remakes (Fathom, Centaur), Original pinball designs (Celts, Wraith), Creditor hierarchy and refund prospects, Manufacturing challenges in Australia
- **Mentioned:** Communication breakdowns with customers

### Sentiment

**Negative** (-0.95) — Article documents complete business failure, customer financial loss, and serves as explicit industry warning. Tone is factual but the content is uniformly negative regarding customer outcomes and business viability. The concluding statement about dangers of pre-paying reinforces severe cautionary sentiment.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Customers who purchased directly from Haggis classified as unsecured creditors with virtually zero recovery prospects; distributor customers have better legal protection (confidence: high) — Creditor hierarchy documentation: direct purchasers are unsecured creditors 'amongst the last to be paid back' and 'very unlikely to receive any of their payments back'
- **[business_signal]** Haggis Pinball liquidation represents major manufacturer failure; cautionary tale for boutique market sustainability (confidence: high) — Formal liquidation appointment, failed financing, regulatory documentation, customer funds lost
- **[community_signal]** Haggis Pinball collapse will intensify community debate about pre-order risk, manufacturer vetting, and direct vs distributor purchases (confidence: high) — Article explicitly warns about dangers of pre-paying; establishes Haggis as salutary lesson for industry
- **[market_signal]** Failure demonstrates challenges of independent manufacturers competing in boutique pinball market; geographic/supply chain disadvantages for Australian operation (confidence: high) — Article concludes: 'The failure of Haggis Pinball demonstrates the difficulties building pinballs machines at scale, especially in a country where the cost and reliable supply of the necessary parts can be problematic'
- **[market_signal]** Haggis Pinball pricing and value proposition could not sustain sales despite positive reviews; modest sales of Celts contributed to cash flow problems (confidence: medium) — Celts received positive reviews but sold in only modest numbers; insufficient revenue to sustain operations despite original design
- **[product_strategy]** Fathom Revisited and Centaur Revisited experienced severe production delays from 2021-2024 with minimal communication to customers (confidence: high) — Fathom launched April 2021 with repeated missed deadlines; Centaur announced mid-2023 during ongoing Fathom delays; communication gaps extended from days to weeks to months
- **[product_concern]** Fathom Revisited playfield delamination issues reported; manufacturing quality problems evident (confidence: high) — Historical industry knowledge of Fathom playfield delamination defects affecting customer machines
- **[supply_chain_signal]** Parts availability issues and just-in-time supply chain failures cited as contributing factor to production collapse (confidence: high) — Article states 'Production of the Fathom remake appeared to have slowed amid rumours of parts availability issues' and company abandoned just-in-time delivery method as unfit for purpose

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## Transcript

Australian pinball manufacturer, Haggis Pinball, has ceased trading and appointed liquidators as the business failed to secure financing to continue its operations.

The Melbourne-based company was run and entirely owned by Damian Hartin and began in 2018 with a game originally called Ghosts.

!Damian Hartin from Haggis Pinball

Damian Hartin from Haggis Pinball

That name was changed to Wraith and the design was developed alongside a second title called Celts.  Celts went on to be the company’s first commercial release but, despite positive reviews, only sold in modest numbers.

![The Celts game from Haggis Pinball](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2019/186-pinball-expo-2019.jpg)

The Celts game from Haggis Pinball

The company moved away from original designs for their second title which was a remake of the classic Bally game, Fathom.  Fathom Revisited was launched in April 2021 with two versions offered, a Classic Edition and a Mermaid Limited Edition.  Deposits were required initially, with the balance to paid closer to the time of manufacture.

![The flier for Haggis Pinball's Fathom Revisited](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/fathom-revisited/02-fathom-revisited.jpg)

The flier for Haggis Pinball’s Fathom Revisited

Concerns began to be raised as production numbers and delivery dates were repeatedly missed with little communication about what was happening.

When the company started, Damian was very active on social media, producing video updates on their development of Celts on a near daily basis.  Gradually, the gaps between the updates turned from days to weeks, and then to months.

The launch of the company’s third title, a remake of the Bally Centaur game, took place mid-way through production of Fathom Revisited.

![The front of the Oblivion Edition flyer](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/centaur-revisited/002-centaur-revisited.jpg)

The front of the Oblivion Edition flyer

Production of the Fathom remake appeared to have slowed amid rumours of parts availability issues and lack of funding.  Many cautioned that the Centaur Revisited pre-order funds might be needed to finance ongoing Fathom Revisited production, a suggestion which appeared to gain traction as full payment requests were sent out with no indication the buyers’ games were about to be built.

Monetary concerns increased in February this year when, after a prolonged silence, Damian contacted buyers of Fathom Revisited and Centaur Revisited games to advise them that the company needed to refinance and reorganise their processes.  He warned that machine production, which had already slowed to a trickle, would need to be reduced further as the company restructured and ditched their just-in-time parts delivery method which was no longer fit for purpose.

Since then, no further communication has been received from Damian or Haggis Pinball.

Today the company closed their social media presences on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and removed their website on WordPress. Their X account is still active at the time of writing, although it hasn’t been updated since January 2022.

At a general meeting today, the company’s only shareholder – Damian, who owns all 5,000 of the AU$1 shares issued – voted in favour of a special resolution to wind up the business’s operations as insolvent, and appoint a liquidator.

![The resolution to wind up Haggis Pinball's operations](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/haggis-pinball-in-liquidation/03-haggis-pinball-in-liquidation.jpg)

The resolution to wind up Haggis Pinball’s operations

The appointment of Cathro & Partners as liquidators spells the end of Haggis Pinball, as any remaining assets are sold in an attempt to raise money for creditors of the company.

![The regulatory notice announcing the appointment of liquidators](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/haggis-pinball-in-liquidation/04-haggis-pinball-in-liquidation.jpg)

The regulatory notice announcing the appointment of liquidators

Those creditors are likely to include the tax authority and banks who will be deemed secured creditors and receive preference when allocating any monies recovered.  Buyers of the company’s pinball machines who purchased directly with Haggis are classed as unsecured creditors and are amongst the last to be paid back.  In effect this means they will be very unlikely to receive any of their payments back.

Buyers who paid either a deposit or the full purchase price through one of Haggis’s distributors (Flip N Out Pinball, Nitro Pinball, RS-Pinball, Pinball Heaven) should have some level of protection as their contract is with the distributor and not Haggis. It will then be up to the distributor to offer refunds.

The landlord of Haggis Pinball’s factory also confirmed operations there have ceased and that the premises will shortly be available to rent.

The failure of Haggis Pinball demonstrates the difficulties building pinballs machines at scale, especially in a country where the cost and reliable supply of the necessary parts can be problematic. It should serve as a salutary lesson about the dangers of pre-paying, either in part or in whole, for a machine from a new manufacturer.

At the time of writing there had been no statement from the company about the reasons for the failure of the business, the fate of any completed but as-yet unshipped machines, or the prosects of a refund in part or in full of pre-order payments.

If that changes, we’ll bring you the details right here at Pinball News.

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 738955ed-4b66-4260-a2fa-09bebeda7ca6*