The Krafton studio, creator of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, sued against Apple, Google and Youtube, but also Garena, a free-to-play video game production company, for its two games Free Fire and Free Fire: Max. According to Krafton, these two games would copy their own Battle Royale in many respects.
Krafton accuses Garena for having copied many mechanics specific to PUBG like their air drops opening system, the structure of the game, the way it is played, the game’s inherent weapon system, armors, unique items, locations and the choice of different colors, textures and same game materials. Garena’s Free Fire games were first released in 2017 in Singapore, shortly after the release of PUBG, according to The Verge. This action would have generated complaints followed by an agreement between the two parties. However, this agreement did not include no license agreement or authorization to distribute Free Fire games. In 2017 Garena however published a mobile version of its title available in the App Store and on Google Play, then the following year, Free Fire: Max.
According to Krafton, Garena would have won several hundred million dollars thanks to these games, due to in-game purchases. They also accuse Apple and Google since the latter earn commissions on each purchase made via their in-game payment system, but also to have denied the request of Krafton, having asked them to stop distributing these games.
These accusations do not stop there, however. since YouTube is also implicated for allowing the release videos showing Free Fire and Free Fire: Max gameplay while refusing to delete them. Chinese movie, Biubiubiu, was also attacked by Krafton, which according to the company is an adaptation unauthorized of PUBG since it isa live-action featuring an esports team on a Battle Royale, greatly similar to PUBG. In the past, Krafton had already taken legal action against another film of the same genre, Run Amuck. YouTube had at the time acted against this movie, although it is still available.
So there is this new movie announced for the China market called ‘Biubiubiu’ which is billing itself as the first esports battle royale film.
It’s about a down and out streamer that forms an esports team with old friends with some custody battle drama thrown in for some reason pic.twitter.com/jn1lSU30AW
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) July 24, 2021
The parent company of PUBG also points out that this kind of procedure had already been implemented in the past by Ubisoft in May 2020, when they sued Apple, Google and developer Ejoy over a mobile copy of Rainbow Six: Siege. “Apple and Google have refused to comply with a video game developer’s request to remove an infringing game from their respective stores,” Krafton said. This is only after Ubisoft filed this lawsuit that Ejoy on his own decided to delete the game, but Apple and Google never took part in the conflict of their own free will.
Ubisoft had at the time withdrawn its accusations following the removal of the game from distribution platforms. It is very likely that if the same scenario arises, Krafton do the same but at the present time, these accusations are maintained and of large sums are involved in this case. In 2020, Garena’s parent company, Sea Ltd. would have received income over $2 billion in digital entertainment alone.