Riot Games has filed a lawsuit against a six-year-old mobile game for allegedly copying elements from League of Legends: Wild Rift. The developer studio of the mobile game and Riot Games are already familiar with each other due to another game that also led to a lawsuit.
Which game is it about? Riot Games has filed a lawsuit against the game “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang”, developed by Moonton. The game from the Chinese developer studio is a MOBA for mobile devices.
In Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, you play classic MOBA matches in 5 vs. 5. The focus is, as typical for the genre, on teamwork and strategy.
Riot accuses the MOBA title released on July 14, 2016, of copying elements from League of Legends: Wild Rift. Wild Rift is a shortened and mobile-device-developed version of the popular PC counterpart and e-sport giant League of Legends.
Both League of Legends: Wild Rift and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang made it onto our list of the five best mobile MOBAs in 2022:
What is the purpose of the lawsuit? According to the lawsuit filed by Riot Games, as reported by the American gaming website polygon.com, Mobile Legends was previously removed from the “Google Play” store by the developer Moonton. The reason was a complaint made to Google.
Subsequently, it appears that Mobile Legends: Bang Bang returned to the store in a minimally altered form of Mobile Legends to, as stated in the lawsuit, copy visual elements from League of Legends: Wild Rift through updates.
Furthermore, it is stated that Moonton is knowingly copying Riot’s intellectual property. Riot Games likely wants to prevent Moonton from continuing to unlawfully use the rights to the game League of Legends: Wild Rift.
Riot Games itself aims to seek a jury trial as well as a preliminary injunction that prohibits Moonton from distributing Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
Additionally, it is reported by polygon.com that Riot Games might use the lawsuit as a procedural step to pursue another lawsuit in China. Riot has already been successful in the past with such actions.
If you’re now wondering what Mobile Legends: Bang Bang looks like, we link you to the “Google Play Store” trailer of the MOBA:
Old acquaintances: Riot Games & Moonton
What previous lawsuits have there been? In 2018, Riot Games already sued Moonton in the “U.S. District Court for the Central District of California”.
The earlier lawsuit was about the game “Mobile Legends: 5v5 MOBA”. At that time, Riot Games referred to the title as a direct derivative of League of Legends.
The federal judge in the USA responsible for the case at that time rejected a hearing of the case. He decided that China was the better jurisdiction for the lawsuit.
Subsequently, according to polygon.com, the China-based parent company of Riot Games – Tencent Holdings – intervened and obtained a judgment against Moonton and its managing director for 2.9 million dollars.
In the past, Riot Games has repeatedly struggled with intellectual property theft. The lawsuits against Moonton are no exception.
Earlier this year, MeinMMO reported on the game “I Am Hero: AFK Tactical Teamfight”, which allegedly copied elements from League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics.
Mobile game blatantly steals from League of Legends, even copies the champions’ story
