Key Takeaways
1. CI Games faces criticism from Elden Ring fans for allegedly copying enemy designs after revealing concept art for a new character.
2. CEO Marek Tyminski denies plagiarism claims, providing evidence that the design was developed in 2024, before Elden Ring: Nightreign’s launch.
3. The controversy centers on similarities between CI Games’ Menaslide Soldier and Elden Ring’s Wylder, with fans drawing parallels in visual features.
4. Tyminski shared an internal Slack conversation to clarify the development timeline, showing that the design was completed months before Elden Ring’s announcement.
5. CI Games emphasizes their respect for FromSoftware and insists on the originality and creativity of their artists in the game’s design process.
The team working on Lords of the Fallen 2 has faced harsh criticism from Elden Ring fans, with CI Games being accused of copying enemy designs from From Software’s related title, Elden Ring: Nightreign.
This controversy ignited after the company released concept art for a new enemy character. However, Marek Tyminski, the CEO of CI Games, has firmly rejected these allegations and provided solid proof that the design was developed in 2024, almost a year prior to the launch of Elden Ring: Nightreign.
Artwork Comparison
The uproar began when CI Games revealed artwork featuring a new variant of an enemy, dedicated to the moon goddess Menaslide. This character was illustrated in blue armor, with cloth details and wielding a jagged greatsword.
Fans rapidly drew parallels between this artwork and a character recently unveiled for Elden Ring’s Nightreign expansion, known as Wylder. Many pointed out that the design resembled Artorias from Dark Souls’ downloadable content, highlighting similar visual features, including the blue armor and the knightly pose, which justified their claims.
The Backlash
The primary focus of the comparison remains on Wylder from Nightreign, who shares a similar aesthetic and even includes an optional Artorias-inspired skin in Elden Ring: Nightreign. Gamers and fans online deemed the resemblance too striking to ignore.
In response to the uproar, Tyminski addressed the criticism head-on and even posted a screenshot of an internal Slack conversation from July 2024, reinforcing his arguments.
He mentioned, “Happy to demonstrate that the claims of plagiarism from yesterday are totally wrong.” The Slack exchange displayed an artist sharing a render of what was initially called “HallowedBro,” which eventually transformed into the Menaslide Soldier, recently highlighted in the news.
Clarifying the Timeline
He explained that the armor design was completed by July 14, 2024, almost four months prior to the official announcement of Elden Ring Nightrein. To strengthen his position, he noted that the character model for the Menaslide Soldier was integrated into Lords of the Fallen 2 by October 23, 2024. Tyminski stated simply, “The timeline is evident.”
After addressing the situation, Tyminski remarked:
There can be visual similarities in medieval fantasy design. We hold FromSoftware in high regard, but we do not replicate the work of other studios. The armor design in Lords of the Fallen received significant acclaim, and we believe that Lords 2 will follow suit. We fully back our artists, their creativity, and the authenticity of their creations.
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