My wild guess is ZoroJ initially was a "Partner" rather than a "Commission artist" for this project.
But then he had a change of heart / not happy with how LD goes / IRL demands, so he left the project - this happens all the time.
If it's just about "don't have money to pay commissions", they can totally reduce ZoroJ's commission amount, than letting ZoroJ leave completely.
I don't know how LD does financially, But I bet it does not make a lot of money. It's subscription is the cheapest in the industry, and despite people complaining the lack of progress, no one accuse Hyao scam people (at least not yet). Even if Hyao does not need the income to support his life, making games cost money.