PUBG Corp files a lawsuit against Epic Games over Fortnite
PUBG Corp files a lawsuit against Epic Games over Fortnite
Today Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds are the world’s most popular “Battle Royale” games, a new genre which was popularised by PUBG upon its release on Steam Early Access last year. Â
The Korea Times has stated that PUBG Corp filed their lawsuit in January, alleging that Epic Games has plagiarised several elements of PUBG, including the game’s core mechanics, items and user interface.Â
Fortnite initially released in July 2017 with a mode called “save the world”, though the game didn’t become a mainstream success until the release of the title’s free-to-play “Battle Royale” mode in September. Bluehole’s PUBG is created using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 4, which means that PUBG’s developers already pay Epic Games a lot of royalty fees to use their engine, adding some extra salt into their perceived wound.Â
Since it’s release PUBNGÂ has sold over 40 million copies on PC, making the game a resounding success on the platform. At this time it is unclear when this case will commence to court, or how Epic Games will respond to the allegations.
Regardless, Fortnite is a very different game to PUBG, with both games presenting players with different graphical styles, tones, and gameplay. Fortnite offers a more entry-level experience with less realism and a light-hearted feel. In contrast, PUBG has a darker tone, with more MilSim (military simulator) elements. Other significant differences also include Fortnite’s building mechanics, offering players a lot more environmental control than PUBG.Â
What is clear is that PUBG Corp and Epic Games are about to have their own Battle Royale in court, as neither side is likely to back down from this fight.Â
You can join the discussion on PUBG Corp taking Epic Games to court over Fortnite’s similarities to PUBG on the OC3D Forums. Â