Riot Games is suing the Chinese company NetEase because their mobile game is like the popular tactical shooter Valorant looks. You can find out the background to the legal dispute on MeinMMO.
What shooter is it? The mobile game is the 5v5 tactical shooter “Hyper Front” that has been released for iOS and Android devices.
In Hyper Front you choose a playable character and then fight as a team to win individual rounds. The goal is to use your hero’s unique abilities to place a bomb or prevent said bomb from being placed.
Between rounds, you can upgrade your loadout by purchasing weapons, armor, or skills. You receive money for a weapon at the end of a round, whereby the amount depends on whether you have won or lost. Kills and placing/defusing the bomb also affect the amount of money received.
allegation of copyright infringement
What is this lawsuit? As the online magazine Polygon.com reports, Riot Games has filed a lawsuit against NetEase, the publisher of Hyper Front. The shooter violates the copyright of Riot Games tactical shooter Valorant.
According to Polygon, Riot is set to take the case to courts in the UK, Germany, Brazil and Singapore. It is also said that the lawsuits differ slightly in different countries and are adapted to the respective copyright laws, but the main object of the allegations is that Hyper Front is copying parts of Valorant.
How does the shooter remind of Valorant? Visually, Hyper Front looks very similar to Riot Games shooter Valorant. Both the design of the cards, including the grey-green boxes, and the design of the characters are reminiscent of the tactical shooter.
It is similar with the weapons and abilities of the heroes. For example, there is a kind of “Omen” that can teleport or a “Sova” that shoots a reconnaissance arrow.
If you want to take a look at Hyper Front for yourself and decide for yourself whether the mobile game looks like Valorant, we include a trailer of the shooter’s 12 characters here:
Tactical shooter Hyper Front introduces 12 playable characters in the trailer
What is NetEase? NetEase, the company being sued by Riot, is one of China’s largest internet technology companies and distributor of many games.
The publisher’s portfolio includes games such as Dead by Daylight Mobile, Knives Out and Naraka Bladepoint (via neteasegames.com).
Repeated copyright litigation with Riot Games
Are there similar incidents? With the proceedings against NetEase, Riot Games is repeatedly attempting to take action against infringements of its own copyright.
In January 2022, Riot Games filed a lawsuit against the mobile game I Am Hero: AFK Tactical Teamfight for copying League of Legends.
In May 2022, a lawsuit against Moonton and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang continued. The Chinese company’s MOBA also violated League of Legends copyright.
In November 2022, Moonton turned the tables and Moonton is now accusing Riot Games of stealing LoL from Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
Company behind TikTok is suing League of Legends for allegedly stealing from a mobile game