Blizzard files copyright lawsuit against fan-run World of Warcraft servers Turtle WoW

Blizzard has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Turtle WoW, alleging misuse of World of Warcraft assets.

Blizzard Entertainment has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Turtle WoW, a network of privately operated servers for World of Warcraft.

The lawsuit, submitted to the District Court for the Central District of California on August 29, claims that the group uses Blizzard’s code, assets, and trademarks without authorisation.

The company argues that the servers negatively affect the wider player community by fragmenting the audience, causing brand confusion, and creating potential security risks.

Blizzard stated in its complaint that it has “invested an enormous amount of time and money into creating, maintaining, and updating” World of Warcraft, and alleged that the defendants have built “an entire business on large-scale, egregious, and ongoing infringement.”

Turtle WoW launched in 2018, offering free access to alternative versions of the MMORPG. While it does not charge players directly, it accepts donations through its website. Its servers feature fan-created expansions, including Mysteries of Azeroth, described as an exploration of original game lore.

The group has also promoted Turtle WoW 2.0, an upcoming project claiming to replicate the Vanilla WoW client in Unreal Engine 5.

Blizzard alleges that Turtle WoW profits from its operations by providing “paid access to a group of unauthorised, ‘emulated’ private WoW game servers, as well as all of the software and other tools necessary to access and use these emulated servers, including pirated copies of WoW.”

The company further claimed that Turtle WoW has “brazenly escalated its efforts” through social media promotion, influencer partnerships, and marketing for its next release.

In a statement to PCGamesN, a Blizzard spokesperson said, “Our games are built on decades of innovation and creativity, and we take seriously our responsibility to protect the integrity of that work for our employees, our partners, and our players.”