As the highly anticipated Elden Ring’s release date draws closer, controversy has erupted in the gaming world. Fans have accused the game’s developer, Bandai Namco, of plagiarizing animations from another game, The Surge 2. The allegations quickly went viral, leaving many gamers wondering if the claims were true. In response to the accusations, Bandai Namco released a statement, denying the allegations and clarifying the situation. In this article, we’ll dive into the details of the accusations and the response from Bandai Namco.
Archangel Studios’ new Soulslike game, Bleak Faith: Forsaken, has been at the center of controversy since its release on March 10. Players accused the indie developer of using animations from FromSoftware games, such as Bloodborne and Elden Ring. The creators announced that they would replace all reused assets that they claim were purchased in good faith because Epic cannot verify the source of the animations on the Epic Marketplace.
Bleak Faith: Forsaken is a cybergothic interpretation of FromSoftware’s established die-try-die formula, where players are tasked with exploring the last remnants of a civilization beset by ruin. The game’s release prompted players to question whether the game’s inspiration was genuine or straight biting. Since its release, several compilations comparing animation assets to FromSoft games have been published online.
Archangel Studios has come forward to explain that animations not made in-house were purchased from the Epic Marketplace and “have been up there for years, rigged to an Epic Skeleton.” They claim that only 10 percent of the art used in Bleak Faith: Forsaken was bought directly from the Epic Marketplace and that all assets were purchased “in good faith.”
Despite buying in good faith, the reused assets will be patched out of Bleak Faith: Forsaken “over the next several days” out of respect for the original artists. An Archangel Studios representative said that they hope other independent developers learn from this when making purchases from an asset store and would like to see better vetting and review protocols put in place to prevent future accusations of stolen development assets. Epic Games and Sony declined to comment on the matter.
In conclusion, the allegations of plagiarism against The Game and their apparent use of Elden Ring animations have created a lot of buzz in the gaming world. The developer’s response, while denying any wrongdoing, has not fully satisfied the fans and critics who remain skeptical. It remains to be seen how this controversy will affect the release and reception of the game. Nonetheless, we can all agree that plagiarism and intellectual property theft is a serious matter that should be taken seriously. As gamers, we must continue to demand a higher standard of ethics and creativity in the industry for the good of the art form, and the fans who support it.
