PUBG Dev "Concerned" About Fortnite Battle Royale, Pondering "Further Action"
Bluehole feels Fortnite is a bridge too far.
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PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) may be the next game that everyone's going to copy, but that doesn't mean the game's operator needs to be happy about it. After cries from its community over the release of Fortnite's Battle Royale mode, Bluehole has released a statement on the matter.
"We've had an ongoing relationship with Epic Games throughout PUBG's development as they are the creators of UE4, the engine we licensed for the game," said Bluehole vice president Chang Han Kim in the statement. "After listening to the growing feedback from our community and reviewing the gameplay for ourselves, we are concerned that Fortnite may be replicating the experience for which PUBG is known."
The statement further insists that Bluehole has no relationship with Fortnite and the company is concerned with how close Fortnite's Battle Royale is to PUBG.
"We have also noticed that Epic Games references PUBG in the promotion of Fortnite to their community and in communications with the press," Chang Han Kim added. "This was never discussed with us and we don't feel that it's right. The PUBG community has and continues to provide evidence of the many similarities as we contemplate further action."
Bluehole is likely concerned because Epic Games just announced that Fortnite Battle Royale was going to be a standalone product. Fortnite Battle Royale is coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Mac on September 26. It will be free-to-play, which could see the release undercutting PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' sales.
It'll be interesting to see how the gaming industry as a whole and how various communities interpret Bluehole's statements. They sound like threats of potential legal action. Currently though, there is no lawsuit filed. It'll also be interesting to see how other planned Battle Royale-style games and modes shift in response.