Will Fortnite be seen as hero or villain in the South Korean courts? — AFP Relaxnews
This week in Battle Royale news, the PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds studio initiates legal proceedings against Fortnite over similarities between the two, newcomers Fractured Lands and Fear The Wolves release trailers, and Fortnite, apparently destined for the Nintendo Switch, finally adds vehicles or, more accurately, shopping carts.
PUBG Corp is suing Epic Games over perceived copyright infringements within PUBG rival (perhaps conqueror) Fortnite: Battle Royale.
The Fortnite team cited "PUBG" as an influence but can be expected to argue that its innovations – visual style, rapid fortress construction, map design – set it apart from the influential predecessor.
Epic makes the Unreal engine that powers both "PUBG" and "Fortnite"; the PUBG company has previously taken issue with not only this but also Chinese giant NetEase, whose Knives Out and Rules Of Survival cling much closer to the "PUBG" design.
PUBG Corp brought its legal suit in South Korea and it's from the same country that a Nintendo Switch edition of "Fortnite" was confirmed.
South Korea's Game Rating and Administration Committee is considered a reliable and very official source for unannounced projects, with automated Twitter account gcrb_bot picking up the certification on June 1.
Epic also responded to popular demand by adding vehicles to "Fortnite", though did so in its customary atypical style: cars, buggies, motorbikes, even BMXs can stay in other games for now, as Epic chose the humble shopping cart as its transport of choice.
One upcoming prospect that makes use of motorised vehicles is Fractured Lands, the debut from an LA studio whose staff boast time on the Battlefield, Call Of Duty, Medal Of Honor, and God Of War franchises.
Still, given its prominent Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic themes, this newcomer could be in a spot of bother if Rage 2 reveals a similar multiplayer mode, but if not, then all the better.
Another Battle Royale hopeful, Fear The Wolves, also inhabits the post-apocalypse, though this time in radioactive Chernobyl where players will have to contend with hostile weather conditions, deadly anomalies, and mutant creatures.
Its studio, Vostok Games, released a batch of five screenshots plus the promise of an E3 2018 appearance in June and an Early Access PC program beginning during northern Summer. — AFP Relaxnews
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