Riot Gamesis suing the Chinese publisherNetEaseover its mobile shooter Hyper Front, which Riot says is a copycat version ofValorant. In onelawsuit filed in the UK, Riot is claiming that Hyper Front rips off Valorant’s substantial parts, such as characters, skins, weapons, maps, and charms.
According to Polygon, the global case will be taken to court in different countries, including Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom. “All of our creative choices are mirrored in NetEase’s game,” Riot Games' lawyer Dan Nabel told Polygon. “We don’t think that changing the color of a character’s ability or slightly modifying the visual appearance changes the fact that it’s copyright infringement. It’s like that old saying, ‘You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.'’' Riot Games is now waiting for an injunction to shut down Hyper Front permanently due to imitating Valorant in the game’s main aspects, which the company laid out in the filing via screenshots.
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Riot Games has made comparisons to prove non-compliance, showcasing the similarities between Valorant and Hyper Front. The company alleges even character stances, weights, outfits, and attitudes are similar to those in Valorant, infringing copyright laws in many countries. Moreover, Riot claims in the U. K. lawsuit that NetEase made changes to Hyper Front after Riot complaints emerged. However, the game still needs to be shut down for “substantial” damages.
Dan Nabel also claimed that due to copyright being territorial, his client is filing a lawsuit against NetEase in multiple courts, without having to rely on one particular market. “NetEase is a global publisher, as are we. We want them to know that we take the matter very seriously.” NetEase has not responded to Riot’s allegations yet.
Hyper Front is a team-based mobile shooter which was first launched in June 2022, two years after Valorant’s initial release on PC. Riot Games has previously announced that Valorant is getting a mobile version, which is expected to come out sometime next year. In other Valorant news, theNight Markethas returned with special offers and will be available until January 2023.
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