PUBG Mobile Blasted For Allegedly Using Hypnospace Outlaw Name and Colors To Sell Cosmetic Bundle

PUBG Mobile is under fire for its new cosmetic bundle, which indie developer Jay Tholen is saying was lifted directly from Hypnospace Outlaw.

Released earlier today, the new Hypnospace Diva Set features the same name and a very similar color palette as the 2019 indie release, which satirizes the internet circa 1999. Tholen took notice a few hours later, blasting the cosmetic bundle for using the name to ‘sell a tacky costume.’

ok i guess i’ll make a more direct quote tweet and say that it sucks that PUBG have stolen Hypnospace’s name to sell a tacky costume. the color choices seem to pull from our key art as well. https://t.co/OIkioEHWRN pic.twitter.com/hJrMdIwvxP — Jay Tholen (@jaytholen) July 22, 2021

Tholen elaborated in separate comments to NME, “When I initially saw the image and that it was titled ‘Hypnospace Diva’ I assumed someone created a more feminine fan art version of the goldish yellow figure in our key art. The colors, even extending to the background, match quite closely.”

Have you played Hypnospace Outlaw?

Tholen saw the image on his social feeds shortly after it was released. Tholen says he was unaware that it was a commercial project until it was posted on the game’s Discord server, calling the initiative “confounding.”

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Cross-promotional events have become quite common in service games like PUBG Mobile. Just this morning, Genshin Impact announced that it was adding Horizon Zero Dawn’s main protagonist, Aloy. In this instance, though, the preponderance of evidence suggests that PUBG Mobile publisher Tencent simply lifted the branding from Hypnospace Outlaw for its cosmetic bundle.

IGN has reached out to PUBG Mobile representatives for comment and will update this post accordingly with any responses.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN

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