StarLords Developers Seek Fan Input for a New Game Title to Prevent Legal Issues with Disney

Marvel and Disney may dominate the pop culture landscape, but that doesn’t mean everyone is familiar with every superhero or comic book character. The developers of StarLords recently admitted they were unaware of the existence of the Guardians of the Galaxy until quite recently. Now, they’re in a bit of a scramble to come up with a new name for their game.

StarLords is a hand-drawn sci-fi bullet hell experience infused with roguelike elements. Imagine Enter the Gungeon, but with base-building features and a vibrant, Borderlands-inspired aesthetic. Players can choose from 10 unique “StarLord” commanders, each equipped with distinct loadouts, training facilities, and strategic capabilities. For example, the Spore Entity can reshape the battlefield, while the Clone Master specializes in overwhelming foes with a relentless stream of units. While there’s no set release date yet, a demo of StarLords is already available on Steam.

The game has piqued interest, but the developers, hailing from China, are feeling a bit anxious after realizing there’s a prominent Marvel character also named Star-Lord. “No one on the team watches Marvel movies,” one developer shared on Reddit. “We urgently need a new name before Disney catches wind of this.”

To address the situation, the developers are inviting fans to suggest alternative names, promising that if a submission is chosen, the contributor will receive a free Steam key and a credit in the game. The team has not sought legal advice on the matter, but they prefer to avoid any potential issues.

“With AI, Google, and helpful player warnings, it’s risky enough that we’d rather just play it safe and rebrand,” a developer noted on Reddit.

This name change also presents a prime marketing opportunity. Coincidentally, StarLords has just launched a Kickstarter campaign. The modest funding goal of just under $2,000, combined with the game’s fun premise, has led some to support the developers.

The name suggestions from fans have been entertaining. Some, like Space Carnage and BulletLords, are serious contenders, while others are more humorous.

“How about starwars instead?” one user joked. “If the game also involves crafting, I think StarCraft is a good option,” another suggested.

The creators of StarLords have stated that the core campaign and gameplay loop are complete, along with all commander options. However, they aim to expand the base game with additional content, such as custom planetary headquarters and co-op multiplayer. You can check out StarLords on Steam.