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PUBG Corp. alleged that Fortnite Battle Royale copied elements of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), including aspects of its battle-royale mode and user interface. The company filed a copyright-infringement case against Epic Games Korea in South Korea in January 2018, then withdrew it in June. The case closed without a reported ruling on whether infringement occurred; the available reporting does not establish why PUBG withdrew the lawsuit or whether the companies settled.
What PUBG alleged
PUBG said it was protecting its copyright. A company official told The Korea Times in May 2018: “We filed the suit to protect our copyright in January.” The report described the complaint as alleging similarities between PUBG and Fortnite Battle Royale, particularly in core elements of the battle-royale mode and the user interface.
That was PUBG’s allegation, not a court finding. The reporting available on the case does not establish that a judge accepted the claim or determined that Epic had infringed PUBG’s copyright.
What the games had in common—and what differed
Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode arrived in September 2017, after Fortnite originally launched with its Save the World mode, according to The Korea Times. PUBG’s complaint followed, focusing on similarities it perceived in the battle-royale format and interface. The two games were not identical in presentation: The Guardian described PUBG’s visual style as naturalistic and Fortnite’s as cartoon-like, and noted Fortnite’s building mechanics.
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These comparisons provide context for the dispute, but they do not resolve its legal question. Similarities in a game’s broad format or user interface are not, by themselves, proof that a particular work infringed another’s copyright. The sources reporting the South Korean case do not supply a judicial analysis of the specific claims.
Where and when the lawsuit was filed
PUBG Corp. said it filed the case in January 2018, seeking an injunction against Epic Games Korea at Seoul Central District Court. The Korea Times reported the lawsuit publicly on May 25, 2018. The company’s target in the reported South Korean proceeding was Epic’s Korean entity, rather than a court action against Epic Games in the United States.
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Why the case ended—and what is not known
Bloomberg reported on June 27, 2018, that the South Korean case had closed after PUBG Corp. sent a withdrawal letter to Epic’s attorneys on June 25. PUBG and its law firm confirmed the withdrawal, but Bloomberg said they did not disclose the reason or whether the companies had reached a settlement. The withdrawal therefore cannot be described as a win for either side, a finding that Fortnite copied PUBG, or proof that the parties settled.
PUBG executive producer Chang Han Kim was quoted in a Steam news aggregation as expressing concern about Fortnite “replicating the experience for which PUBG is known.” That reported phrase conveys PUBG’s position; it is not a court conclusion. The aggregation is available at Steam.
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How to read the legal commentary
The Guardian also quoted lawyer Alex Tutty of Sheridans discussing copyright principles under English law. He said: “In England there would only copyright infringement if it was shown that Epic copied a substantial part of PUBG,”. That comment concerned English law and general principles; it does not establish the law applied in the South Korean proceeding or what a Korean court would have decided.
What the 2018 figures do—and do not—show
Contemporaneous sales and user figures help explain the attention around the dispute, but they are dated snapshots, not current counts. The Korea Times reported more than 40 million PUBG copies on Steam as of April 2018, and more than 4 million console copies in its May 2018 article. It also reported over 40 million Fortnite users in 2018, without specifying a more precise measurement date. None of those figures should be read as a present-day player count.
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Bottom line: an allegation, followed by withdrawal
PUBG sued Epic Games Korea in South Korea over alleged similarities between PUBG and Fortnite Battle Royale, then withdrew the case about five months later. The reported record establishes the filing and withdrawal, but not the reason for the withdrawal, a settlement, or a court decision on the merits. For the contemporaneous withdrawal report, see Bloomberg.
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