PUBG and Free Fire have long been fierce rivals in the battle royale gaming world. Their competition has escalated from verbal sparring to the courtroom, with Krafton—the creator of PUBG—now suing Garena (Free Fire's parent company), along with Apple and Google, for copyright infringement related to Free Fire.
PUBG Mobile and Free Fire dominate the battle royale genre. PUBG leads in revenue, while Free Fire excels in esports. But this rivalry has turned legal as Krafton takes action against what it claims is blatant copying.
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The South Korean powerhouse Krafton launched PUBG: PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds on PC in 2017, revolutionizing the gaming industry. Months later, Garena released Free Fire, widely accused of mimicking PUBG. The launch of PUBG Mobile in 2018 intensified the clash.
After Free Fire's debut, Krafton pursued a copyright claim in Singapore courts, but it ended without resolution. Now, Krafton is suing Garena for incorporating PUBG-like game mechanics into Free Fire, while also targeting Apple and Google for distributing the game. The official court filing states:
"Since the initial release, Garena has wrongfully authorized Apple and Google to distribute hundreds of millions of copies of the Free Fire app through their respective online 'app' stores—the Apple App Store and the Google Play store. Indeed, upon information and belief, Garena has earned hundreds of millions of dollars from its global sales of the infringing apps, and many of the infringing acts have occurred in the United States. from their distribution of Free Fire, as both platforms retain a significant portion of what users spend within the infringing game."
Reports indicate Krafton previously demanded Garena halt sales of Free Fire and Free Fire Max, and urged Google and Apple to delist the games—but to no avail. Krafton has submitted evidence, including side-by-side images highlighting identical mechanics.
Krafton has a track record of successful litigation, recently winning $10 million from PUBG cheaters. Both games boast massive popularity, but Krafton seeks to ban Free Fire. Will this spell the end for the title? Only time will tell.
