Modern Warships Developer Admits to Plagiarizing Independent Artist Concept
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Modern Warships developer Artstorm apologized to concept artist Alex Jay Brady after plagiarizing an atomic ekranoplan carrier design for a high-cost in-game vessel.
Artstorm, the studio behind the PvP naval combat title Modern Warships, has publicly admitted to using an independent artist concept as the blueprint for an in-game vessel. The controversy began when concept artist Alex Jay Brady highlighted striking similarities between their original atomic ekranoplan carrier design and the new in-game model, the RF Bartini A-2000-7. Speaking with IGN, Brady noted that even specific quirks and logistical mistakes from the original artwork, such as backward-facing aircraft takeoffs, were cloned wholesale into the game without authorization.
Following the viral traction of the comparison posts, Artstorm issued a public apology on social media and reached out to negotiate compensation. Publisher Gaijin confirmed the outreach, while Brady stated that the situation would be considered resolved if a fair financial offer is made for the uncredited use of the portfolio piece. This situation highlights a recurring tension in digital economies where player trust is already fragile regarding content valuation and monetization practices.
Adding fuel to the community backlash is the steep cost required to acquire the contested ship in the first place. Players looking to add the RF Bartini A-2000-7 to their fleets face steep paywalls, needing to spend considerable cash on gacha spins or convert currency into ArtCoins that can easily scale up to hundreds of dollars in real-world value. As community reviews frequently point out, heavy-handed monetization paired with asset controversies makes it difficult for players to maintain faith in live-service pricing models.
Tags: Modern Warships, Gaming News, Game Development, Indie Art, Live Service
Original article: IGN South Africa