Monster Energy threatens another game with legal action over the word ‘monsters’

Monster Energy strikes again, returning to claw in games with the word “Monster” in the title. The beverage company and its legal division have now taken aim at the independent developers behind Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals, a multiplayer game where you control either the titular humans or horrors through a maze.

Glowstick’s CEO Vincent Livings posted Monster Energy’s legal terms on Twitter. In the document, the company says it won’t object to Dark Deception’s trademark, as long as the developers follow some very strict guidelines. Glowstick will not be able to use or register any other trademarks that include the words monster(s) or variations of monsta, monstrous, or monstrosity. Words bordering on a monster — such as monster and unleashed — are also off the table.

But these conditions extend to the use and registration of designs as well. For example, any “claws, claw-like design, claw-like markings” or “a design consisting of several substantially parallel lines,” is a big no. A combination of green and black, or green, black and white, is also used. Because, of course, players connect three parallel lines with a drink.

on Twitter“@MonsterEnergy is known to be a notorious trademark troll,” Levings says. He continues, “For a company that loves targeting drinks to gamers, it also loves trying to bully game studios into bankruptcy through drawn-out, high-dollar litigation.” Monster Energy claims the game is “confusingly similar to their energy drink,” Levings adds, but he’ll “fight them in court.”

Monster Energy previously came to Ubisoft a few years ago. You may remember that Immortals Fenyx Rising – the colorful Zelda-ish open world – was originally announced as Gods & Monsters. At the time, Monster Energy claimed that it was so entrenched in gaming culture—through product placement in Death Stranding, esports sponsorship, and cross-promotion with live-service games—that the Ubisoft name caused confusion among brands.

Ubisoft denied these allegations, but it seems they didn’t have much to do with the name as they later changed it without any further legal disputes. The lawyer was Richard Hogg forecast Ubi could have fought and won the case, but doing so would have sunk money and time. We’ll see if Glowstick has enough of either while taking the dispute to court.

If you’re interested in Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals now, it’s available now on Steam For only £4. monsta’s designs are pretty brutal, from cheerful mustachioed chimps, riffs on Xenomorphs, and letters (yes, the English alphabet) with sharp teeth and bulging eyes.