In the aftermath of what could have been a potentially dragged-out lawsuit against heavy metal band Iron Maiden, publisher 3D Realms and developer Voidpoint have taken steps to make sure that its upcoming retro FPS Ion Maiden was not stopped in its tracks before its impending August release date. The first of those steps? Renaming their game to Ion Fury. The rest of those steps? Probably legal mumbo-jumbo.
The issue with the game started in May, when Iron Maiden launched legal action against 3D Realms for allegedly infringing on the band’s trademark. According to a statement made by 3D Realms, it seems that the lawsuit was based on the following: Shelly Harrison, the main character for then Ion Maiden, was based on band member Steve Harris; the skull bomb logo found in-game is based on the band’s skeleton mascot named Eddie and other numerous “frivolous” claims that the publisher no longer enumerated.
Since then, the game's publisher and developer have decided on renaming Ion Maiden to Ion Fury. A statement was issued marking the change which can be read below:
“After careful consideration, we’ve decided to rename our first-person-shooter “Ion Maiden” to “Ion Fury,” Mike Nielsen, CEO of 3D Realms, said in the statement. “A lot of thought went into this, but most importantly it would be a disservice to our loyal fanbase and the fantastic developers, to drag out a long lawsuit. The amazing gameplay, interactivity and pure fun is what makes Ion Fury a great game. Not the title.”
Well, they’re not wrong. The so-called Duke Nukem 3D successor is currently sitting between a “Very Positive” and “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating for its early access standalone “preview” campaign. Utilizing the 20-year-old Build Engine, Ion Fury seems to have made something click for those who love blocky shooters and those with a penchant for nostalgia. Also, I’ve taken this with a grain of salt, but if internet comments hold any value at all, the community support regarding the game’s name change is a good sign for the upcoming shooter.
Ion Fury will get its full release on August 15 on the PC via Steam and GOG. Price points will change from $19.99 for its early access version, to $24.99 on July 18, presumably readying for its final launch date. It’s also confirmed to be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch at a later date.
