hotfix

name	hotfix
description	Emergency fix workflow that bypasses normal sprint processes with a full audit trail. Creates hotfix branch, tracks approvals, and ensures the fix is backported correctly.
argument-hint	[bug-id or description]
user-invocable	true
allowed-tools	Read, Glob, Grep, Write, Edit, Bash, Task, AskUserQuestion
model	sonnet

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. Assess severity using these criteria:

• S1 (Critical): Game unplayable, data loss, security vulnerability
• S2 (Major): Significant feature broken, workaround exists
• S3 or lower: Minor issue — normal bug fix workflow applies

Confirm with AskUserQuestion:

• Prompt: "I've assessed this as [assessed severity] — [brief rationale]. Confirm severity to proceed:"
• Options:
  • [A] S1 (Critical) — game unplayable, data loss, or security issue
  • [B] S2 (Major) — significant feature broken, workaround exists
  • [C] S3 or lower — redirect to normal bug fix workflow

If [C]: stop. Verdict: REDIRECTED — use the normal bug fix workflow for S3 and below.

---

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

Check whether this is a git repository:

Bash: git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree 2>/dev/null

If this command fails or returns empty: note "Not a git repository — create the branch manually." and skip branch creation.

If the check passes, use AskUserQuestion before creating the branch:

• Prompt: "Ready to create hotfix branch 'hotfix/[short-name]' from [base-ref]?"
• Options:
  • [A] Yes — create branch
  • [B] Use a different base ref — I'll specify it
  • [C] Skip — I'll create the branch myself

Only run git checkout -b hotfix/[short-name] [base-ref] if user selects [A]. If [B]: ask the user for the base ref, then run the command with that ref. If [C]: skip branch creation and proceed to Phase 4.

---

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 effects
• subagent_type: qa-tester — Run targeted regression tests on the affected system
• subagent_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.

Use AskUserQuestion:

• Prompt: "Hotfix complete. What's the next step?"
• Options:
  • [A] Run /smoke-check to verify the fix
  • [B] Run /patch-notes to document this hotfix
  • [C] Stop here