Według kilku wypowiedzi prasowych, światowy wydawca Webzen i Red 5 weszły w etap sporu prawnego wokół opracowania i publikacji Firefall. Red 5 Studio złożyło wniosek o arbitraż przeciwko Webzen o „domniemane naruszenie praw” i stara się odzyskać 5 milionów dolarów.
Webzen odpowiada, że ma więcej niż prawa do gry, oraz stanowczo zaprzecza zarzutom. Spór trwa i nabiera coraz to nowych barw, ciekaw jestem zakończenia owych rozmów, w sumie jak narazie to tylko arbitraż, a nie proces sądowy, ale i tak może być ciekawie. Sam nie będę się opowiadał po którejkolwiek ze stron, ale obu życzę powodzenia. Niżej przedstawiam oświadczenia obu stron, po angielsku, aby nie było, że coś przekręciłem:
From Red 5:
“We are deeply disappointed that Webzen has forced us to react this way,” said Red 5 CEO Mark Kern. “Since day one, our goal has been to craft a revolutionary gaming experience, get that game into the hands of as many people as possible, and do so utilizing the free to play model. Sadly, we do not believe that Webzen has lived up to its obligations under our agreement, which isn’t fair to our passionate team at Red 5 or to our supportive fans in Asia.” Kern confirms that the arbitration will not disrupt Red 5’s continued development of the game. Red 5 still plans to self-publish the game in the United States and Europe and will offer Firefall as a free digital download that’s free of any monthly fees. Webzen continues to hold publishing rights in Asia as well as a few other territories.
From Webzen (via email press document):
As the publisher of the game in territories other than North America and Europe, WEBZEN has patiently waited for the completion of the game for five years despite numerous delays in development. The game, for which WEBZEN has invested nearly $25 million, is not yet complete, and we are dismayed that Red 5 has initiated this dispute before we are able to enjoy the results of our investment.