Usually when a game gets cloned a Cease and Desist order is sent, usually to Google, and the offending title is taken down. This could be a simple trademark violation or a blatant cloning of another game. Blizzard, however, is taking it a step further and suing a Hearthstone clone that happens to be already available on iOS and Android.
The offending title is called Legend of Crouching Dragon and taking a look at the game’s screenshots, you can see where Blizzard would have an issue with this game. Visually, the game is extremely similar to Hearthstone with some cards almost identical in style (except for the monster it represents) while others actually look more like Magic the Gathering cards.
Blizzard’s suit, if they win, will net the company a possible $1.65 million as well as shutdown Legend of Crouching Dragon for infringing on Blizzard’s intellectual property. It’s not just the visuals in question either. Legend of Crouching Dragon plays out almost identically to Hearthstone as well.
Blizzard also has another reason to be sure the marketplaces are clear of clones. Hearthstone is slated for its mobile debut in the second half of 2014. It’ll be interesting to see how this all turns out.
Website Referenced: PocketGamer
