Heavy metal band Iron Maiden has launched legal action against game developer 3D Realms, publisher of retro first-person shooter Ion Maiden.
Lawyers for the legendary British band want $2m (£1.58m) for the attempt “to trade off… Iron Maiden’s notoriety”, The Guardian reports.
Ion Maiden (the game, not the band) has been available via Steam Early Access since February 2018, with a full release set for later this year. It stars bomb disposal expert Shelley Harrison, which the lawsuit argues is a nod to Iron Maiden member Steve Harris. It also has a skull in its logo, which the lawsuit suggests is a reference to band mascot Eddie.
3D Realms has responded to the lawsuit via Twitter, calling it “frivolous”.
“We at 3D Realms, our co-publishers 1C Entertainment, and developer Voidpoint will review our options once we receive official notice of the lawsuit and will make any necessary decisions at the appropriate time,” the publisher stated.
“Regardless, everyone continues to work diligently on Ion Maiden to deliver the best possible experience later this year.”
(1/4) We?ve recently heard about a lawsuit filed in California by the band Iron Maiden, claiming our old-school first-person shooter Ion Maiden (@Bombshell_Game) is infringing on their trademark.
From what we?ve heard, the suit claims our main character…
— 3D Realms (@3DRealms) May 30, 2019
On the bright side, it’s great publicity.
