The video game company Ubisoft has sued Apple and Google for not removing Area F2, a ripoff of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege, from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store respectively. Area F2 is a tactical first-person shooter for mobile developed by Qooka Games and is available for Android and iOS.
Qooka Games is a subsidiary of Ejoy.com, which is owned by Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd. The game was launched last month and is heavily inspired by Ubisoft's popular shooter, Rainbow Six: Siege. The game follows a similar gameplay pattern, with five attackers and five defenders in each match trying to either defuse a bomb or defend it. The operators, which are called agents in the game, have strikingly similar abilities and gadgets to those in Rainbow Six: Siege, such as drones and the rappel. While attackers have the advantage of using explosives and guns to break down the destructible environment, defenders can use reinforcements to prevent the same. The game is in public beta right now, but already has over 75,000 reviews with a commendable rating of four stars. The game undeniably has a lot of potential for a mobile game, but the resemblance is something which can't be ignored.
According to Bloomberg, Ubisoft has filed a complaint against Apple and Google at the Federal Court in Los Angeles. Ubisoft states that the game is almost a carbon copy of Rainbow Six: Siege, and the developers are banking on Rainbow Six: Siege's popularity to gain success. Citing Rainbow Six: Siege as its most valuable intellectual property, Ubisoft further adds that most of the aspects of the game are copied, ranging "from the operator selection screen to the final scoring screen, and everything in-between.”
Ubisoft had earlier notified Apple and Google about the copyright infringement, however, the listings weren't removed on either of the two stores, compelling Ubisoft to take legal action. While the fact that Ubisoft has not moved against the developers itself might sound pretty surprising, Engadget reveals that it might be trickier than expected considering the fact that the developers are based in China, which might restrict foreign jurisdiction.
Taking inspiration from popular games is not something new in the gaming industry. When PUBG launched, it started the trend of the battle royale genre, with many games replicating the concept. However, one thing that should be noted is that ripoffs are something which is not at all ethical from a developer's standpoint, and Area F2 isn't just inspired by Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege but looks more like a complete ripoff of the game. Ubisoft is clearly unhappy with Google and Apple, and only time will tell whether the game will remain available.