Fortnite developer reportedly being sued by PUBG Corp for copyright infringement

It may be time to pick a side when it comes to your favorite battle royale as PUBG Corp has reportedly filed a lawsuit against Fortnite creator, Epic Games, in Korea.

According to the Korea Times, a PUBG official announced that an injunction was filed against Epic Games Korea in January and it will be down to the Seoul Central District Court to determine whether Fortnite “was copied” from PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.

It seems like the claim is specifically going against Epic Games in Korea, which could hamper the company’s plans to launch Fortnite in the country later this year.

Last game standing

This news hasn’t exactly come from nowhere; PUBG’s creators made their dissatisfaction with the similarities between both titles known prior to Fortnite: Battle Royale’s launch in September 2017 (via Polygon):

“We've had an ongoing relationship with Epic Games throughout PUBG’s development as they are the creators of UE4, the engine we licensed for the game,” Bluehole VP and executive producer Chang Han Kim said. “After listening to the growing feedback from our community and reviewing the gameplay for ourselves, we are concerned that Fortnite may be replicating the experience for which PUBG is known.”

However, Kim went on to suggest that the problem may have had as much to do with Epic’s use of the PUBG title in advertising of its own game as it did with any similarities in gameplay: “We have also noticed that Epic Games references PUBG in the promotion of Fortnite to their community and in communications with the press. This was never discussed with us and we don’t feel that it’s right.”

At the moment it’s not clear how and when proceedings will continue but we will update with news as and when it’s announced.