Nexon Will Make Changes To The First Descendant Icons Following Accusations It Copied Destiny 2

The First Descendant is a new looter-shooter title from Korean studio Nexon, a team that is known for successful live service titles but also for utilizing less-than savoury tactics in how it operates those games.

In the past that’s come down to how it dealt with microtransactions, but the latest accusation brought against the studio is one of plagiarism. A report from Forbes pointed out huge similarities between icons used in The First Descendant and Destiny 2.

The report describes the icons as “barely-changed,” and it wasn’t exactly wrong. Another report from IGN though pointed out this plagiarism could have been done by mistake, thanks to an icon database that seems to actually be the one stealing work from Bungie and many more developers.

Regardless of whether Nexon straight ripped the icons from Destiny or mistakenly from this database, Nexon has confirmed in a statement to IGN that it will be making changes to avoid any further confusion.

“The First Descendant, as a looter shooter game, was developed with a deep affection and respect for other games in the genre. Destiny 2, being a globally renowned looter shooter game, is also personally admired and respected by the team, and it has served as an inspiration during the development process.

We have taken the concerns raised seriously and decided to make adjustments to ensure that the imagery that may appear similar clearly reflects the unique identity of our game. We will continue to improve the game for fans of the looter shooter genre.”

So once the changes are implemented, that’s that settled. Nexon may not have anything to worry about, but the icon database Icon Duck might.

It claims to be open source and that all the icons included can be used for “personal or commercial use,” but now that this story has brought attention to it, more studios might take a closer look at it.

For example a more litigious studio such as The Pokemon Company might argue differently when you look at the Pokemon icons available on the site.

Source – [IGN]