UPDATE 11.09pm: Paradox has disabled the beta version of its new mobile sci-fi strategy title Stellaris: Galaxy Command, after the discovery that some of the imagery used within the game by developer Gamebear had been lifted wholesale from Halo art.
Following Galaxy Command’s reveal earlier today, astute fans quickly noticed that artwork featured in the game bore a striking resemblance to Halo 4 concept work created by 343 Industries’ technical art director Kenny Magnusson, as found on his Artstation portfolio.
In response to the discovery, publisher Paradox has temporarily disabled Galaxy Command’s servers, writing in a statement posted to Twitter, “We have learned that artwork inside Stellaris: Galaxy Command was taken from another source. We are immediately removing this content from the game and we are deeply sorry to our fans and to the affected creators.”
“To perform a full content sweep and ensure this issue is resolved,” the publisher continued, “we have temporarily taken the game offline.
“This was a clear mistake on our part, and we are working to fix it as quickly as we can. We trust Gamebear to make things right for Galaxy Command and we will work closely with them to ensure this game meets the high standards our players deserve.”
“We’re sorry this happened”, Paradox concluded, “and we will do better”.
Whether that’s enough to placate Stellaris fans remains to be seen. The official forums and subreddit have not reacted positively to the Galaxy Command announcement, fearing the iOS and Android game to be a quick cash-grab rather than the “authentic Stellaris experience” that Paradox initially claimed it to be.