Explicit invocation only: This skill should only run when the user explicitly requests it with /hotfix. Do not auto-invoke based on context matching.
Phase 1: Assess Severity
Read the bug description or ID. Determine severity:
- S1 (Critical): Game unplayable, data loss, security vulnerability — hotfix immediately
- S2 (Major): Significant feature broken, workaround exists — hotfix within 24 hours
- If severity is S3 or lower, recommend using the normal bug fix workflow instead and stop.
Phase 2: Create Hotfix Record
Draft the hotfix record:
## Hotfix: [Short Description]
Date: [Date]
Severity: [S1/S2]
Reporter: [Who found it]
Status: IN PROGRESS
### Problem
[Clear description of what is broken and the player impact]
### Root Cause
[To be filled during investigation]
### Fix
[To be filled during implementation]
### Testing
[What was tested and how]
### Approvals
- [ ] Fix reviewed by lead-programmer
- [ ] Regression test passed (qa-tester)
- [ ] Release approved (producer)
### Rollback Plan
[How to revert if the fix causes new issues]
Ask: "May I write this to production/hotfixes/hotfix-[date]-[short-name].md?"
If yes, write the file, creating the directory if needed.
Phase 3: Create Hotfix Branch
If git is initialized, create the hotfix branch:
git checkout -b hotfix/[short-name] [release-tag-or-main]
Phase 4: Investigate and Implement
Focus on the minimal change that resolves the issue. Do NOT refactor, clean up, or add features alongside the hotfix.
Validate the fix by running targeted tests for the affected system. Check for regressions in adjacent systems.
Update the hotfix record with root cause, fix details, and test results.
Phase 5: Collect Approvals
Use the Task tool to request sign-off in parallel:
subagent_type: lead-programmer — Review the fix for correctness and side effectssubagent_type: qa-tester — Run targeted regression tests on the affected systemsubagent_type: producer — Approve deployment timing and communication plan
All three must return APPROVE before proceeding. If any returns CONCERNS or REJECT, do not deploy — surface the issue and resolve it first.
Phase 5b: QA Re-Entry Gate
After approvals, determine the QA scope required before deploying the hotfix. Spawn qa-lead via Task with:
- The hotfix description and affected system
- The regression test results from Phase 5
- A list of all systems that touch the changed files (use Grep to find callers)
Ask qa-lead: Is a full smoke check sufficient, or does this fix require a targeted team-qa pass?
Apply the verdict:
- Smoke check sufficient — run
/smoke-check against the hotfix build. If PASS, proceed to Phase 6.
- Targeted QA pass required — run
/team-qa [affected-system] scoped to the changed system only. If QA returns APPROVED or APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS, proceed to Phase 6.
- Full QA required — S1 fixes that touch core systems may require a full
/team-qa sprint. This delays deployment but prevents a bad patch.
Do not skip this gate. A hotfix that breaks something else is worse than the original bug.
Phase 6: Update Bug Status and Deploy
Update the original bug file if one exists:
## Fix Record
**Fixed in**: hotfix/[branch-name] — [commit hash or description]
**Fixed date**: [date]
**Status**: Fixed — Pending Verification
Set **Status**: Fixed — Pending Verification in the bug file header.
Output a deployment summary:
## Hotfix Ready to Deploy: [short-name]
**Severity**: [S1/S2]
**Root cause**: [one line]
**Fix**: [one line]
**QA gate**: [Smoke check PASS / Team-QA APPROVED]
**Approvals**: lead-programmer ✓ / qa-tester ✓ / producer ✓
**Rollback plan**: [from Phase 2 record]
Merge to: release branch AND development branch
Next: /bug-report verify [BUG-ID] after deploy to confirm resolution
Rules
- Hotfixes must be the MINIMUM change to fix the issue — no cleanup, no refactoring
- Every hotfix must have a rollback plan documented before deployment
- Hotfix branches merge to BOTH the release branch AND the development branch
- All hotfixes require a post-incident review within 48 hours
- If the fix is complex enough to need more than 4 hours, escalate to
technical-director
Phase 7: Post-Deploy Verification
After deploying, run /bug-report verify [BUG-ID] to confirm the fix resolved the issue in the deployed build.
If VERIFIED FIXED: run /bug-report close [BUG-ID] to formally close it.
If STILL PRESENT: the hotfix failed — immediately re-open, assess rollback, and escalate.
Schedule a post-incident review within 48 hours using /retrospective hotfix.