Square Enix, the company behind Final Fantasy, has filed a lawsuit against BlackJack Studio, a developer it previously partnered with to create a new Front Mission game. The legal battle centers around allegations that BlackJack Studio reused content from their canceled project in a new game.
According to court documents, Square Enix and BlackJack Studio (also known as HK Ten Tree) had been working together for two years on “Front Mission 2089: Borderscape,” a revival of Square Enix’s classic mecha battle franchise. However, Square Enix canceled the project in October 2024 for reasons that weren’t made public.
Shortly after the cancellation, BlackJack Studio announced their own game called “Mecharashi” (or “Metal Storm” in some markets). This new title is described on its Steam page as “a mecha-themed tactical turn-based game” that uses “a Front Mission-style combat system.”
The lawsuit, filed on March 13 in a Seattle court, first reported by Polygon, claims that Mecharashi was “developed using materials created pursuant” to the Front Mission licensing agreement. Square Enix has included 11 pages of comparison screenshots in their court filing, showing striking similarities between the unreleased Front Mission prototype and Mecharashi.
These comparison images reveal nearly identical game mechanics, visual designs, and other elements that Square Enix claims are protected content.
Square Enix is seeking $150,000 per copyright infringement and demands the immediate removal of Mecharashi from all digital storefronts. The company has already sent multiple DMCA takedown notices to platforms like Steam, resulting in the game being temporarily removed before reappearing after BlackJack Studio filed a counter-claim.
The legal battle isn’t limited to the United States. As per the reports, Square Enix has also filed a similar lawsuit in Japanese court, as Mecharashi was released in both China and Japan.
This situation highlights the complex legal issues that can arise in game development partnerships when projects are canceled. A similar situation recently occurred when a South Korean court ordered the developer of Dark and Darker Mobile to pay Nexon nearly $6 million for trade secret violations. Nexon accused former employees—who had worked on a canceled Nexon project—of founding a new company to create Dark and Darker using proprietary concepts. Nexon is currently appealing the ruling.
If successful, Square Enix’s lawsuit would effectively prevent Mecharashi from being released in its current form, as the court would force BlackJack Studio to remove all content that infringes on Square Enix’s Front Mission intellectual property.
For now, fans of tactical mecha games will have to wait and see how this legal battle plays out between the two companies.
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