Ark: Survival Evolved studio settles Trendy Entertainment lawsuit

The lawsuit between Dungeon Defenders studio Trendy Entertainment and Ark: Survival Evolved developer Studio Wildcard appears to have been settled.

Ark: Survival Evolved studio settles Trendy Entertainment lawsuit

According to Gamasutra, court documents for the settlement were filed this week, but the terms are not disclosed.

The lawsuit was filed late last year with more details coming to light back in March 2016. Trendy Entertainment accused its former creative director Jeremy Stieglitz of violating a non-compete clause when he joined the Ark: Survival Evolved developer.

Per the court documents, when Stieglitz left the company in 2014, his contract stated he could not work for a competing studio for one year or solicit employees from Trendy. The company's suit claimed he did both.

Another part of the clause stated Stieglitz was to provide a 20% share "in any game-related activities" he engaged in for five years. This also included a "right of first refusal" on the "remaining 80% of such activities," according to Gamasutra.

The firm's attorney noted in the original filing Jeremy's wife, Susan Stieglitz, was listed as one of Wildcard's co-founders under her maiden name and that Jeremy has secretly been working on Ark since his departure from Trendy.

Studio Wildcard issued a motion to have the case dismissed, stating Jeremy Stieglitz was only acting as a consultant.

Insight Ventures, which owns Trendy Entertainment, claimed in the original filing that Stieglitz had offshore accounts with millions hidden. The firm said he owed it "$26 million alone."

On Twitter, Susan Stieglitz stated Insight Ventures was seeking $600 million, but again, settlement terms weren't disclosed in the court documents released this week.