Square Enix is suing Ten Tree for infringing copyright by releasing Front Mission: Borderscape as Metal Storm

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It has emerged that Square Enix has taken legal action against HK Ten Tree, claiming they unlawfully released a game called Front Mission: Borderscape under the names Metal Storm or Mecharashi without Square Enix’s authorization. Anime Corner was the initial source to report this news, as Square Enix has not yet made an official statement. However, documents pertaining to this case, submitted to the US District Court for the Western District of Washington, have been accessible online through Court Listener.

On March 13th, it was officially confirmed that Square Enix ended their license agreement for the production of Front Mission 2089: Borderscape with Shanghai Zishun Information Technology Co., Ltd., which is believed to be the company associated with BlackJack Studio. This termination occurred on October 4, 2022, marking exactly 3 years since the agreement was initially made. This event also took place approximately six months after Square Enix publicly unveiled Borderscape for the first and only time in April. Furthermore, Square Enix maintains that all rights to the canceled game will continue to belong to them.

Unbeknownst to me as a fan of Square Enix’s Borderscape, BlackJack Studio, ZLONGAME, and another company named Ten Tree decided to take over the game and give it a new life in China, rebranding it Mecharashi for Winter 2023. I didn’t know about this until a Japanese news outlet reported on it, and Square Enix seemed unaware too. But then things took an unexpected turn when Ten Tree decided to bring the revived game not just to China, but worldwide, starting with Japan in October 2024 under the exclusive localized title Metal Storm. Interestingly, this is the very title that Square Enix used in their lawsuit, even though the Chinese companies have chosen to use Mecharashi for the global release of the game.

Last October, when Metal Storm was released in Japan, some might have wondered if Square Enix had any issues with this. A US lawsuit confirmed that Square Enix indeed objected to the release. On December 16, Square Enix sent a formal request for removal to Ten Tree, but they only responded about a month later on January 17. Additionally, Square Enix stated that the actions taken were not sufficient enough to address their concerns.

On February 21st next month, Square Enix asserted that Valve had removed the game’s Steam page. To clarify, the URL mentioned in the lawsuit refers specifically to the Japanese and South Korean versions of the game, which are restricted to these countries and distinct from the forthcoming global English and multi-language edition.

Ultimately, Square Enix chose to pursue legal action by submitting complaints in Japan’s Tokyo District Court and the US’s Western District of Washington’s Court. The lawsuit included side-by-side comparisons of the original Front Mission 2089: Borderscape trailer and the final build of Mecharashi/Metal Storm, demonstrating that many interface elements, maps, and weapons were similar, while only a few pilot character artworks showed significant differences.

Currently, I’m eagerly anticipating the global release of Mecharashi, which is scheduled for iOS, Android, and PC via Steam. Regular updates showcasing pilot characters and ST mechs have been posted as recently as March 17. Even though it’s only accessible in Japan and South Korea right now, SteamDB activity charts suggest that some players are still actively engaging with the game in these regions.

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2025-03-19 22:26