'Fortnite' Sued for Allegedly Copying Rival Game 'PUBG'
The developers of "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" has now filed a lawsuit against Epic Games, the creator of "Fortnite," for alleged copyright infringement. The lawsuit was filed in Korea against the Korean subsidiary of Epic Games, according to a PUBG Corp. official.
On Friday, May 25, an official of PUBG Corp. confirmed that the company, itself a subsidiary of Bluehole, has filed an injunction for alleged copyright infringement against Epic Games Korea, according to the Korea Times.
"We filed the suit to protect our copyright in January," said the official, noting that the claim was filed about three months ago. "PUBG" has been one of the biggest games in 2017 with the explosive resurge of the Battle Royale genre, where up to a hundred players compete to be the last one standing.
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Since then, "Fortnite's" own take on the Battle Royale gameplay has seen it rival if not beat "PUBG" in terms of popularity. Both games are also built on the same Unreal Engine 4 that was developed and licensed out by Epic Games, the same company PUBG Corp. has sued.
Both PUBG Corp's parent, Bluhole, and Epic Games were also owned in large parts by Tencent, a giant Chinese internet company.
Beyond confirming the lawsuit, the PUBG official has not added any details on the copyright infringement suit or how Epic Games has infringed on "PUBG." An earlier statement from Bluehole in September of last year, however, did say that the company was thinking of how to respond to claims that the core elements and user interface of "Fortnite" were said to be similar to those of "PUBG."
"Fortnite" was first launched with a "Save the World" mode where players hold out against invading hordes of enemies by building makeshift defensive structures and defending them. Since September of 2017, however, Epic Games has added a Battle Royale mode that's free to play.
Epic Games is now making nearly $300 million a month from "Fortnite," driven by the sale of cosmetic items and in-game dance moves, as well as a season subscription called the Battle Pass.
The game's mobile version, which was first launched on the Apple Store as an invite-only iOS app, quickly reached the number one spot in the Free Apps category despite needing an invite to get the game, as well as being limited to iOS 11 or newer on select devices. When the online store for the mobile version was opened, it took in $1 million in its first 72 hours as well.
Aside from Epic Games, PUBG Corp. has also sued "Rules of Survival" publisher NetEase over the catchphrase "Chicken Dinner" plus a host of other similarities with their Battle Royale games.
