Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros. has given fans hope that the Nemesis System could be saved

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Following the announcement that Netflix plans to acquire Warner Bros., a petition has started asking the streaming service to make the “Nemesis System” available for use by other developers. This unique game mechanic, currently owned by Warner Bros. and famously used in the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor games, allows enemies to react to players’ choices, creating a personalized and evolving experience. When the Shadow of Mordor studio, Monolith Productions, closed earlier this year, many fans feared the system would never be used again. The news of Netflix’s potential acquisition has renewed some hope, though some question whether a petition is the right approach.

Fans create a petition calling on Netflix “to unlock the Nemesis System”

A petition is circulating on the GameDev subreddit on Reddit, urging Netflix to support and allow the innovative “Nemesis System” to be widely adopted within the video game industry. The petition argues that many developers have long wanted to use this system, but Warner Bros.’ patent has prevented them from doing so.

Although the petition to license the Nemesis System has gained almost 200 signatures, many on Reddit aren’t convinced it’s a good idea. The most popular comment points out the patent is so narrow that it wouldn’t be practical to license. Another user added that the system’s benefits aren’t useful for many game designs and would be expensive and difficult to implement well. Overall, people think the Nemesis System sounds good in concept, but wouldn’t work for most games in practice.

Many users pointed out that developers are free to create similar systems, as long as they don’t directly copy the patented process. One user explained, “You can build a system with evolving rivals and dynamic enemies, but you can’t use the specific methods described in their patent.” Just to be clear, this isn’t legal advice.

Fortunately, many people quickly clarified that Netflix doesn’t currently own the Nemesis System. Buying it is a lengthy process that needs approval from regulators in several countries. Right now, Netflix doesn’t own it, and there’s no certainty they ever will.

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2025-12-06 04:02