LogInIts layout, at least.
While there's no real competition for the most popular Counter-Strike map, with de_dust2 truly standing in a league of its own, when it comes to the runner-up, although it's not as straightforward, many players would probably point to Inferno as their second-favorite battleground. NetEase seems to share that sentiment, as the company recently introduced a new map in its hero shooter FragPunk that many online are calling a near one-to-one copy of Christopher "Narby" Auty's legendary creation.
Dubbed Toyland, the map was added with the Season 2, Chapter 2 update and takes place in a kaleidoscopic, toy-themed town that looks like a dream of every child between the ages of 3 and 7.
While its visuals don't resemble Inferno at all, its layout certainly does – essentially a carbon copy of it. Banana, stairs, balcony, underpass, bombsites A and B, spawn points – nearly every defining feature of the original map is recreated in Toyland, with only minor tweaks such as a larger T spawn or quicker access to the bedroom from the ground. For easier visualization, here's a side-by-side look at the two minimaps (left – Toyland, right – Inferno):
With the similarities too obvious to be dismissed as mere coincidence, the gaming community quickly split into two camps. Some see it as a love letter from NetEase to Valve, CS, and Narby, and aren't reading too much into it. Others, however, view it as potential copyright infringement, suggesting Valve should take legal action against the Chinese company for "stealing the map layout." So far, neither Valve nor NetEase has commented on the matter, leaving it unclear whether Toyland's layout was planned between the two studios and what NetEase's intentions might have been.
And what's your take on the situation? In your opinion, is it a tribute to a legendary map or a lawsuit just waiting to be filed? Can video game map layouts even be copyrighted – and if not, should they be? Let us know what you think down in the comments!
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