PUBG devs might sue Chinese studio for esports movie that looks like PUBG

It’s as esports and gaming a story as possible: There is a Chinese movie, “Biubiubiu,” about battle royale esports and it is so similar to PUBG that the game’s studio is reportedly considering suing. 

Biubiubiu is marketed as the world’s first esports BR film and it looks like KRAFTON’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. While the movie has released and drawn relentless comparisons to PUBG, industry insider Daniel Ahmad reports that they’ve said “it’s not a PUBG movie.”

Still, that hasn’t stopped the comparisons or KRAFTON’s concerns. As Ahmad explains, the game’s developers are considering suing over infringement of their intellectual property.

If the entire situation sounds like a mess, that’s because it is. Fortunately, Ahmad’s tweet on August 15 practically encapsulates the entire drama.

PUBG is the most popular battle royale in Asia and it should be no surprise that the game would factor in as inspiration for a BR film. But the extent of that inspiration is questionable, especially since the movie’s poster so closely resembles the cover art for PUBG.

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As far as Biubiubiu’s plot, we won’t dive into it much here — but it showcases mobile players competing in a FPS BR with a blend of live-action and CGI. If you want to watch it, you can join hundreds of thousands by checking out the full film on YouTube. 

The movie’s similarities to PUBG are undoubtedly present, but the extent to which they infringe upon IP is a matter best settled in court. Thus far, KRAFTON have made zero public announcements about the situation, but Ahmad is considered to be reputable in that market.

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We’ll update this piece if there’s official confirmation of a lawsuit. In the meantime, you can check out the mix of mobile PUBG and big-budget cinema on YouTube.