Square Enix settles lawsuit with mobile studio accused of copying assets from a cancelled Front Mission game

Square Enix has settled its lawsuit with a mobile game publisher it accused of using assets from a cancelled title they worked on together.

The publisher and HK Ten Tree have agreed to settle a lawsuit filed in March, in which Square Enix [937 articles]” href=”https://www.videogameschronicle.com/companies/square-enix/”>Square Enix had claimed that Ten Tree’s developer BlackJack Studio was using assets from Front Mission in its mobile game Metal Storm (known as Mecharashi in China and South Korea).

When Ten Tree made known its intention to release Metal Storm in the West, Square Enix filed a lawsuit in Seattle, attempting to block the game’s Western release until the matter had been resolved.

The two companies came together to develop Front Mission 2089: Borderscape, which was announced in April 2022. According to the lawsuit, Square Enix cancelled the game and terminated the deal with BlackJack a few months later, in October 2022.

Square Enix’s lawsuit claimed that the developer went on to use assets from Front Mission 2089: Borderscape for its own mobile mech game, which was released in 2024. The publisher wanted to have the game’s Western release blocked, as well as “maximum statutory damages of $150,000 for each copyright infringed”.

Following the filing of the lawsuit, Ten Tree publicly acknowledged the situation and started replacing some of Metal Storm’s in-game graphics, in an apparent attempt to remove infringing assets.

A statement on Ten Tree’s website (as spotted by Automaton) says the matter has been resolved, though the details of the settlement have not been publicly confirmed. A new trailer for the game was also posted on its official YouTube channel.

“The company and Square Enix Co Ltd have agreed to settle the dispute regarding the Company’s game application Metal Storm: Steel Storm for smart devices,” the statement reads.

“The company will continue to strive to provide better services to its users. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused. We hope you will continue to enjoy the game.”

Metal Storm is described by developer BlackJack on the game’s official Steam [2,462 articles]” href=”https://www.videogameschronicle.com/platforms/pc/steam/”>Steam listing as a “mecha-themed tactical turn-based game” with customizable mechs and more. Notably, the Steam description also directly mentions Square Enix’s IP, describing the game’s “Front Mission-style combat system.”