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Krafton also took aim at Apple and Google in the lawsuit.

Chris Kerr, News Editor

January 13, 2022

1 Min Read

Krafton has filed a U.S. lawsuit against Singapore-based Free Fire developer Garena for allegedly ripping off its own battle royale title, PUBG: Battlegrounds.

As reported by Reuters, Krafton claims that Garena's last-person-standing shooter includes numerous copyrighted aspects from PUBG such as equipment, locations, and in-game items.

The Korean company also took aim at both Apple and Google for allowing Garena to sell Free Fire on their respective app stores, before calling out YouTube (which is owned by Google) for allegedly hosting Free Fire gameplay videos and a live-action dramatization.

Krafton claims it has already requested Garena, Apple, and Google halt sales of Free Fire, but is now asking the court to block sales of the game. The studio is also seeking damages that would include profits from sales of Free Fire.

In July 2021, Garena announced that Free Fire had topped 1 billion downloads on Google Play alone, giving you some idea as to how popular the game has become. The title, which is developed by Vietnamese studio 111Dots and published by Garena, had grossed over $1 billion worldwide as of November 2019.

About the Author(s)

Chris Kerr

News Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.

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