PUBG Mobile's newest skin is definitely very similar to Hypnospace Outlaw
PUBG Mobile's newest skin is definitely very similar to Hypnospace Outlaw
Earlier this morning, the mobile version of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds announced a new neon-lit Hypnospace Diva skin. This immediately caught the attention of Hypnospace Outlaw creator Jay Tholen, who accused the PUBG Mobile developer of using his work to sell a "sticky costume".
Part detective story, part internet history, Hypnospace Outlaw has a very different look to it from the crisp aesthetic of the '90s web. PUBG Mobile's look may take a more general cyberpunk approach - but with a strikingly similar color palette above his name, Tholen is confident the handheld shooter is fed directly from his gameplay.
For Tholen, much of the issue isn't just the use of the title and artistic sensibilities of his play. The idea that one could confuse this with a formal collaboration links Hypnospace with a title they consider exploitative and manipulative.
"I wouldn't normally make a big deal out of this, but I don't want our name to be associated with gambling," Tholen writes in a follow-up tweet. "It bothers me that someone who already knows Hypnospace stumbles upon this and assumes we've made a deal that ends up being very aesthetically and morally vile."
Tholen admits that as a junior indie developer who took over PUBG Mobile owner Tencent, there was little to realistically expect when trying to change the look. Still, he's still exploring legal options - even if for no other reason than because "boy that thing is ugly".