Call Of Duty Accused Of Plagiarism Over Dr Disrespect's Deadrop Character

Call Of Duty Accused Of Plagiarism Over Dr Disrespect's Deadrop Character
Midnight Society | Activision

Written by 

Jack Marsh

Published 

17th Aug 2022 15:12

As Warzone and Vanguard's respective eras are coming to a close, it appears that Call of Duty has run out of inspiration for their skin lines and has now started scheming around the black market and nabbing some of their most-liked designs from elsewhere. Well, not literally, but just a few weeks after being accused of plagiarism, more claims of stolen work are being branded in their direction.

It was just over two weeks ago when Activision pulled their Floof Fury bundle from the store after claims were made that their Loyal Somoyed Skin was stolen from an artist.

Now, the developers and designers are in hot water again, as they've now been accused of ripping off another skin, although this time it's from a huge competitor.

Activision Accused Of Stealing Dr Disrespect's Deadrop Character

Midnight Studios co-founding pair Herschel "Dr Disrespect" Beahm and Robert Bowling both have enjoyed stints as developers and designers in Call of Duty; the Doc was a Level Designer for Sledgehammer Games while Bowling was a Creative Strategist for Infinity Ward back in 2012. 

Now, the pair have both drawn an issue with their former employers, as they have claimed the new Call of Duty Doomsayer operator skin is a direct rip-off of their character in Deadrop.

Bowling unveiled the Deadrop character back in early July, which boasts a black hooded armour and cloak covering a blue holographic skull-shaped face.

 

Did Activision Steal Deadrop's Character Design?

Just a mere six weeks after Deadrop's character was revealed, Activision released their own character with black hooded armour and cloak covering a blue holographic skull-shaped face, named Doomsayer, as part of the Malware Ultra bundle.

The in-game stylistic of Doomsayer also boasts a much more holographic facial structure, more reminiscent of that seen in Deadrop's character.

With similarities being drawn, Bowling soon took to social media to say "at least name it after me," throwing some casual shade at his former studios.

Unlike the ejected Fluffy Fury bundle though, Call of Duty could argue that their own skin is just a futuristic twist on Simon "Ghost" Riley, who is set to be a prominent figure in the Modern Warfare 2 era.

Unlike his usual persona, DrDisrespect has not yet commented on the situation, with it likely being brushed under the carpet, unlike Activision's last run-in with plagiarism.

Jack is an Esports Journalist at GGRecon. Graduating from the University of Chester, with a BA Honours degree in Journalism, Jack is an avid esports enthusiast and specialises in Rocket League, Call of Duty, VALORANT, and trending gaming news.

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