Warship Game Copies Absurd Aircraft Design and Attempts to Sell It for $700

Modern Warships has found itself in hot water after an independent artist pointed out that their ship design was used without permission in the game. Artstorm, the developer behind this PvP naval warfare title, has acknowledged the plagiarism and is now looking to negotiate with the artist instead of removing the copied design.

Alex Jay Brady, a concept artist known for sharing their work on social media, created a design in 2014 for an “ekranoplan,” a unique hybrid vehicle that glides just above the water. This design appears to have been directly referenced in a new addition to Modern Warships, prompting Brady to voice their concerns on social media.

“I did not give Modern Warships permission to use my ekrano design,” Brady stated, adding, “but I have to say she’s looking great. Much more detailed than my sketches.” They further expressed that if the developers had simply reached out and offered compensation, they would have had no issues with the usage. “It’s not too late to do the right thing, guys,” they concluded.

When asked for more details, Brady noted, “For me, the design is the same, with a few minor differences… But as there was never a swing wing ekranoplan carrier (for good reason) and every detail aside from that is carried over from my design, it seems cut and dried.” They pointed out that many aspects of the design are impractical, including the engines washing across the deck and planes taking off backward, which were mistakes that were replicated in the game.

In a surprising move, Artstorm publicly admitted to the oversight on social media, stating, “Fair call, and apologies from us. Your design was used as a reference without proper clearance. We’ll contact you directly to make this right.”

The situation is further complicated by the high cost of acquiring the ship in the freemium game, with estimates suggesting it could take between $50 and $100 in gacha spins, or up to $700 for a direct purchase. While Modern Warships may not have a massive player base, there are still a few hundred players online at any given time.

Additionally, the game’s presentation bears a striking resemblance to the more established World of Warships, right down to the promotional artwork featuring familiar ship fans.

Given that Modern Warships is associated with a well-known developer, one would expect better practices to be in place. Hopefully, Brady will receive fair compensation, and this incident may prompt other artists to review the game for any potential infringements on their work.