The fan project “The Heroes Journey” is intended to infringe on intellectual property and cause irreparable damage. Therefore, the company behind EverQuest is now suing the operators of the private server.
What is “The Heroes Journey”? The private server relies on the open-source environment EQEmulator, like various comparable fan projects, to combine the classic EverQuest experience with some meaningful adjustments, such as in the class system or loot.
THJ is said to be the largest of its kind, with regularly around 2,000 players, a previous peak occupancy of over 4,500 concurrent MMORPG enthusiasts, and more than 25,000 members on the official Discord channel.
Both EverQuest MMORPGs are still live and receive regular updates:
What is known about the lawsuit? The lawsuit filed by Daybreak Game Company (formerly Sony Online Entertainment) in California can be found via courtlistener.com.
The company behind brands like EverQuest and PlanetSide calls “The Heroes Journey” an unauthorized and illegal EverQuest emulator that would infringe on intellectual property and cause immediate as well as irreparable damage.
Meanwhile, Daybreak’s lawyers apparently tried to keep the case behind closed doors, seek a preliminary injunction against the emulator, and unmask the currently anonymous co-defendants. However, all three motions have reportedly already been denied by the presiding judge.
The defendants meanwhile expressed themselves quite confidently on the Discord channel of “The Heroes Journey”: They have great lawyers, the advantage of facts on their side, and a strong belief that the responsible people will recognize that they are fans and not enemies.
Preparation for the “EverQuest Reboot”?
Why is there a lawsuit? Apparently, “The Heroes Journey” is currently the only EverQuest private server being sued by Daybreak. According to massivelyop.com, sources speculated that this might be because the operators may have accepted “donations” in exchange for in-game currency and other items for sale in the game.
Two other EQEmulator-based projects – Quarm and Wayfarer’s Haven – went offline shortly after the lawsuit was filed, but reportedly were not sued by Daybreak. According to the respective operators, it is more a pause out of pure caution. They would adhere to all rules, take copyright seriously, and not generate any kind of profit.
Perhaps Daybreak is now also addressing the private server issue because a new EverQuest has been known to be in development since this year. It is not intended to be a third part, but rather a kind of modern reboot of part 1. This would automatically make all privately operated servers, where one can play the first EverQuest, compete. More about this: New MMORPG to EverQuest is supposed to be a modern reboot for part 1, one detail raises skepticism
