Ubisoft was forced to change the name of Gods & Monsters due to a complaint from an energy manufacturer

Ubisoft has faced a patent complaint from the manufacturer of energy Monster Energy. This is what influenced the company’s decision to change the name of the game Gods & Monsters to the less sonorous Immortals: Fenyx Rising.

The lawyer Richard Hoeg from the law firm Hoeg Law drew attention to Ubisoft’s problems.

Brief chronology of events

• in June 2019, Ubisoft applied for the trademark of Gods & Monsters, a role—playing game in the setting of Ancient Greece;
• in April 2020, Monster Energy, engaged in the production of the same-name energy drinks, filed an official objection;
• in May, Ubisoft responded to the complaint, but in June, the developers announced a name change;
• In September, Gods & Monsters was officially renamed Immortals: Fenyx Rising.

What are Monster Energy’s claims based on?

The company claims that the name of the Ubisoft game can lead to confusion in the torog brands. Monster Energy produces a game merchandise with its logo, and also sponsors esports tournaments.

The brand name is also used in video games — for example, in the Monster Energy Supercross race: The Official Videogame.

Ubisoft’s position

In response documents, the company denied any possible confusion. According to Ubisoft, hundreds of other games and registered trademarks contain the word Monster in the name.

At the same time, employees of Ubisoft Quebec, which develops the game, deny the influence of external factors and problems in the legal field.

The game director of the project, Scott Phillips, claims that it was a creative decision. “We realized that the journey of the Phoenix and the gods, the immortals, are at the center of the narrative of our game,” he said in an interview with Eurogamer.

Phillips’ words were also confirmed by his deputy Julien Galloudec in an interview with the Video Games Chronicle portal: “The name change is completely due to the vision of the game.”

Why didn’t Ubisoft sue Monster Energy?

Richard Hogue notes that Ubisoft is a public joint stock company and sometimes it is unprofitable for it to spend time and money on courts without a 100% guarantee of victory. At the same time, the lawyer notes that the French publisher had every chance to win the case.

“I think that in the end they would have won the court from Monster Energy, but at what cost? And how long would it take? And how much would it affect the marketing campaign of the game?” Hoag said.

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