Riot Gamesis suing NetEase in the United Kingdom, accusing the developer of copying “substantial parts” of its gameValorantfor its own gameHyper Front.ValorantisRiot’s free-to-play online multiplayer FPS for PCs, launched in 2020.Hyper Front, from NetEase Games, is similarly a free-to-play online multiplayer FPS but made for mobile devices.Hyper Frontbegan a rolling release in multiple territories earlier this year. It has been accused of being aValorantclone before.
There has been an increasing effort by Riot to pursue legal recourse against “clone” games recently, though jurisdiction has proven to be a limiting factor. For example, a suit against developerShanghai Moontonand its gameMobile Legends: Bang Bangwas dismissed in the US recently, with the judge telling Riot the case belongs in China. That’s despiteMobile Legendsbeing available in the USA and not in China. Riot may face similar issues with NetEase
RELATED:Riot Games Content Coming to Xbox Game Pass Next Week
The allegations that Riot is making include that “all” of the creative decisions that went intoValorant"are mirrored inNetEase’s game." It says that NetEase changing the color of an ability or barely modifying something’s visual appearance shows that it’s clearly copyright infringement. Those similarities, Riot explains, extend to characters, maps, weapons, weapon skins, and even rewards, taken fromValorantand put into NetEase’sHyper Front.
While the United Kingdom case is perhaps the most prominent, Riot has taken its lawsuit to multiple territories whereHyper Frontcontinues to be officially supported. That includes Germany, Brazil, and Singapore, with Riot saying it didn’t want to rely on a single market for a resolution. Riot added that it wants NetEase to understand “we take the matter very seriously.”
The problem, as noted, is that different countries handle jurisdiction for copyright cases very differently. It’s entirely possible that Riot’s lawsuits will all be dismissed, because NetEase is aChinese company. Riot could be told, like with Shanghai Moonton, to file its case in China where copyright is taken much less seriously. Riot, it seems, is increasingly desperate to have its lawsuits heard anywhere but China.
It will likely take some time before there’s any movement on Riot’s lawsuit against NetEase. Even if the lawsuits are allowed to go forward, in the United Kingdom or otherwise, proving copyright infringement is very difficult. If it wasn’t, then such a very clear clone ofValorantwould have never been published at all.Riot’s had enough, though, and this is likely just the first step in a much larger effort.
