NCsoft has filed a lawsuit against XL Games and Kakao, alleging copyright infringement and unfair competition over their recent release, ArcheAge War. According to NCsoft, the game mimicked many features and systems from NCsoft’s flagship game, Lineage 2M. NCsoft is determined to prove that ArcheAge War illegally copied and plagiarized its intellectual property beyond gender similarity.
Also implicated in this recent lawsuit is Jake Song, of XL Games and one of the most prominent and well-known developers of the original line for over two decades. Meanwhile, Kakao has yet to comment on the matter.
NCsoft has a history of protecting the Lineage brand, with a famous lawsuit against developer Bluehole for stealing Lineage III assets and code in development for Bluehole’s MMO TERA.
The Korea Times reported on the new lawsuit, which highlights the conflict between the companies. It remains to be seen how the case will unfold, but NCsoft seems determined to protect its intellectual property.