A former Aeon Must Die developer has used a copyright claim to force the game’s trailer off its publisher’s YouTube channel.
Arsen Shakhbabyan, an animator who helped make the controversial Aeon Must Die trailer that first premiered during last year’s PlayStation State of Play broadcast, had his attorney file the copyright claim after the trailer re-emerged on publisher Focus Home Interactive’s YouTube channel last month.
The trailer for the game shown during the August 2020 State of Play, below, depicts a visually arresting beat-’em-up that caught the attention of PlayStation fans.
Aeon Must Die – World Premiere Trailer | PS4 Watch on YouTube
But immediately following Aeon Must Die’s high-profile video showcase airing, a version of the announcement trailer appeared on YouTube accompanied by a description alleging it had been created “with abuse, manipulation, theft” at Estonian studio Limestone Games.
“People who have worked on every shot of this are no longer with the company holding IP rights,” the statement continued.
“Some were not even paid for their work. This trailer has a pending conflict of IP. The real IP for the game was stolen from the creators via foul play.”
After the developers’ complaint hit the headlines, Focus Home Interactive responded to what it called “serious allegations” relating to the alleged mistreatment of staff, and that “these grievances are directed at Limestone, their direct employer”.
Fast forward a year to August’s re-emergence of Aeon Must Die – when the trailer mysteriously popped up on Focus Home Interactive’s YouTube page with no mention of last year’s allegations – and no word on any conclusions drawn from its investigation.