The company behind the biggest game in the world, “Fortnite,” is being taken to court by the studio responsible for the second-biggest game in the world, “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” (“PUBG”). 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. Because of the popularity of “PUBG,” the Battle Royale style of online multiplayer has become quite popular and many have tried to replicate the success of “PUBG.”

The Battle Royale mode for “Fortnite” was launched in September 2017 for the PC, PlayStation and the Xbox as a free-to-play game mode. It’s also rumored that a similar mode may come to “Red Dead Redemption 2.” A version of Battle Royale already appeared in “Grand Theft Auto Online.”

Like Capture the Flag, Deathmatch, and many other popular multiplayer modes before it, it’s entirely likely that the concept of Battle Royale will lose its connection to “PUBG.” Though Bluehole was the first studio to dig in on a dedicated Battle Royale game, the concept existed in games long before “PUBG.”

To put it bluntly: The name of the mode is directly swiped from a popular film. A lawsuit, filed in Northern California’s U.S. District Court, mentions the similar structure between Battlegrounds and NetEase’s own games, as well as “the use of cookware as a weapon or armor.”

Fortnite and games like Gears of War have been massive successes for Epic Games, but the company is also known for creating the Unreal game engine.
The studio behind battle royale game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) sues Epic Games for allegedly copying their game with Fortnite Battle Royale.