Riot Games Sues NetEase Over “Hyper Front” Copying “VALORANT”
Riot Games has filed a lawsuit against publisher NetEase, accusing the company of copying significant elements of their popular game VALORANT in their own mobile shooter game Hyper Front.
The lawsuit, filed in a U.K. court, claims that NetEase replicated various aspects of VALORANT in Hyper Front, including the game’s overall type and design, game modes, agent characteristics (called “heroes” in Hyper Front), maps, practice range, weapons, user interface, and sound effects.
The 162-page lawsuit provides extensive comparisons between the characters, weapons, maps, gameplay elements, and skins of both games. Riot alleges that while NetEase made some modifications in response to initial complaints, the copyright infringement remains apparent.
“All of our creative choices are mirrored in NetEase’s game,” stated Riot Games lawyer Dan Nabel in a statement to Polygon. “Changing the color or slightly modifying the appearance doesn’t change the fact that it’s copyright infringement.”
VALORANT was released in 2020, while Hyper Front allegedly began development in March 2020, around the time VALORANT was first revealed as “Project A.” Although Hyper Front had a beta release in 2021 and a full release in 2022, it was not officially available in the U.S.
By offering Hyper Front for download in the U.K., Riot claims that NetEase has violated the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of the country. Riot aims to obtain substantial damages and to shut down Hyper Front, with plans to pursue additional lawsuits in other countries.
Riot Games, NetEase, Hyper Front, VALORANT, lawsuit, copyright infringement, U.K