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Magic The Gathering publisher Wizards of the Coast and Cryptozoic Entertainment have settled a lawsuit over the latter's online digital trading card game, Hex: Shards of Fate, according to an announcement from the companies.
Wizards of the Coast, which is owned by Hasbro, sued Cryptozoic in 2014 over Hex: Shards of Fate. Wizards alleged that Hex: Shards of Fate "copied the overall plot, elements, theme, mood, setting, pace, creatures and sequence" of Magic: The Gathering — and its digital forms Magic Online and the Magic: The Gathering — Duels of the Planeswalkers franchise — as well as the "cards, plot elements, circumstances, play sequence and flow."
Terms of the settlement between Wizards and Cryptozoic and developer Hex Entertainment were not disclosed.
"We recognize that Wizards owns valuable intellectual property in Magic: The Gathering, are happy to have this matter settled and excited to move forward with Hex: Shards of Fate," said Hex Entertainment president and CEO Cory Jones in a statement. "We believe that the gaming community will benefit from knowing that Hex: Shards of Fate is no longer subject to litigation."
"Wizards of the Coast has always welcomed new games to the trading card game genre, and we encourage TCG fans to not only play Magic, but to try many different games," said Wizards of the Coast CEO, Greg Leeds. "However, we will not hesitate to take action to protect our intellectual property and the amazing work of hundreds of dedicated Magic team members around the world. That is why we brought this lawsuit and why we are happy to announce its resolution through a settlement and license that both protects the valuable intellectual property of Magic: The Gathering and allows Cryptozoic and Hex to move forward with Hex: Shards of Fate."
Hex: Shards of Fate was announced in 2013. The free-to-play game was pitched as a blend of collectible card games and massively multiplayer online role-playing games, and designed by the team that developed the World of Warcraft trading card game. Cryptozoic launched a crowdfunding campaign for Hex: Shards of Fate on Kickstarter, raising more than $2.2 million to create the game.
