Today’s youth are all captivated with online gaming. Free Fire Max and Pubg are two of the most popular internet games in India. Both games have brought immense joy to the lives of Indian children and young people. Both games are best described as online battlegrounds. This software could be used in both desktop and mobile gaming. During play, players interact with one another.
Krafton, the creators of PUBG, has sued Garena, accusing them of stealing their game. Not just that, but additionally. Krafton has sued Apple and Google for hosting and advertising Garena’s games through their respective app marketplaces. Google has been accused of enabling the distribution of “many threads containing a full-length Chinese film that is obviously a pirated adaptation of the video game Battlegrounds.” and “numerous posts containing gameplay footage of the two Garena games at issue for Krafton” on YouTube.
Krafton has launched a lawsuit against the aforementioned firms for the games Garena Free Fire and Garena Free Fire Max. The games can be downloaded for free from the App Store and the Play Store, with additional in-app purchases available.
Figures on Income
Since its release, PUBG smartphone has become one of the world’s most popular smartphone games, generating billions of dollars in sales. In fact, Sensor Tower, a data analytics company, predicts that PUBG Mobile will earn more than $2.6 billion globally by 2020. This demonstrates the game’s ongoing appeal and the committed fan following it has amassed.
However, the inventor of Garena Free Fire can boast a long record of accomplishments. With a reported sales of more than $1 billion, it was the fourth highest-grossing mobile game in the world in 2019. While PUBG Mobile may have made more money than Garena Free Fire, both games were tremendous hits that were played by millions of people worldwide.
The lawsuit’s long-term influence on both game earnings and popularity among gamers remains unknown. Whatever the conclusion of the ongoing legal procedures between Krafton and Garena Free Fire, one thing is certain: the two firms will continue to be front-page news for a long time.
When Will India Finally Allow BGMI/PUBG Mobile? (2023)
As a gamer who has been following the PUBG vs. Garena Free Fire lawsuit, I am constantly eager as to when BGMI or PUBG Mobile would be available in India again. Regrettably, this question has yet to be adequately answered. The Indian government banned PUBG Mobile in September 2020 due to security and privacy concerns. Krafton has been working hard to convert the game to Indian standards so that it can be released again.
Krafton and Microsoft announced a contract in November 2020 to run PUBG Mobile’s Indian servers on Microsoft Azure. However, their efforts will be in fruitless by August 2021, as the game is still illegal in India. If Krafton continues to comply with Indian regulations and standards, the game’s prohibition could be lifted in 2023. Until then, Indian players must wait for the comeback of their favourite battle royale title.
Other Games Have Been Accused of Stealing Ideas from PUBG
Many other games have been accused of plagiarising PUBG, in addition to Garena Free Fire. Several other games have been accused of being racist as well. Fortnite, for example, has been accused of plagiarising the battle royale format and various game aspects from PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG).
Knives Out and Rules of Survival were both chastised for being too similar to PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Maps, weapons, and even character animations have been accused of being directly copied from the original game. While some degree of similarities between games is to be expected, designers should take care to avoid flagrant plagiarism.
Keeping up with the ever-changing needs of players necessitates developers prioritising innovation. While it may be tempting to build games that resemble ones that are already popular, doing so has a negative impact on the gaming industry as a whole since it discourages new thinking and provides players with less options.
As a result, more than 200 million individuals worldwide play Free Fire Max. Both games have proven popular, and they have a graphic style. Krafton, the creator of PubG, has just sued the creators of Garena Free Fire:
PUBG vs. Garena free fire
Krafton, the inventor of PUBG, has launched a lawsuit against Garena, Apple, and Google. Garena is accused of plagiarising PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds by producing and distributing the battle royale games Free Fire and Free Fire Max. As a result, Krafton is suing Apple and Google for making the games available through their app stores. Krafton allegedly paid Google to host promotional films on YouTube for the Free Fire and Free Fire Max game consoles. According to reports, Krafton has taken numerous efforts against the disputed battle royale games.
Copyright infringement case
According to The Verge, Krafton has sued Garena, the developer of Free Fire and Free Fire Max, for allegedly infringing on Krafton’s copyright. PUBG’s creator has accused Garena of stealing his popular battle royale game. Krafton claimed in court that Apple and Google made hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of the success of two games and the mass distribution of two Free Fire apps. You can now download an app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Krafton is also suing Google and Apple.
On December 21, Krafton announced legal action against Free Fire and Free Fire Max. In the first, it was demanded that Garena stop using Free Fire and Free Fire Max right once, and it was also said that Apple and Google’s apparent clearance had been revoked. Garena found that to be problematic. The developer of PUBG demanded Apple and Google stop disseminating and advertising the two games on their platforms, despite the fact that both app stores still list the titles.
According to a court ruling, the infringing feature-length movie and numerous other videos were taken down from YouTube. These videos are still hosted by Google’s video hosting service.
Revenue statistics
The lawsuit also made reference to Garena’s alleged 2017 sale of a PUBG: Battlegrounds clone in Singapore. Despite the fact that the claims were resolved, Krafton contends that the two game creators never entered into a licencing deal.
According to data gathered by Sensor Tower, player expenditure on Free Fire climbed by 48% to $1.1 billion in 2021. Sales of $2.98 billion for the same time for Krafton were only up 7% from the prior year. The statistics demonstrated that Free Fire was rapidly closing the income and popularity gap with PUBG.
The Case’s Repercussions for the Gaming Sector
The lawsuit Krafton has filed against Garena Free Fire has shocked the gaming industry. People are worried about how this may affect the development of video games in the future and whether it will restrict innovation and inventiveness. On the one hand, it is essential to protect authors’ works and prevent blatant plagiarism from entering the gaming industry. On the other hand, some claim that since video games have a history of stealing ideas from one another, this conduct will set a dangerous precedent.
Furthermore, this lawsuit’s impact goes far beyond these two games. Other developers might be hesitant to use it in their games now that one developer has been sued for using a similar concept. Due to the probable reduction in the number of gameplay mechanisms available to gamers, this could have an impact on the gaming industry as a whole. Those with a deep interest in the gaming sector should follow this case as it develops since it could have significant repercussions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, when PUBG inventor Krafton sued Garena Free Fire for copyright infringement, the gaming industry was rocked. Although there is blatant gameplay and technological resemblance between the two games, it is still unclear how this legal dispute will turn out. We can only hope for a peaceful outcome to this disagreement and for both games to continue to be successful in their own genres as players. It serves as a timely reminder for game designers to take care to stop their creations from being copied or used without permission. It is our responsibility as customers to push creators to think creatively and invest in ground-breaking concepts for the games we adore.
