Recently, one of the most prominent Mortal Kombat 1 modders on YouTube, known as Toasted, made headlines after alleging that Warner Bros. had threatened his channel due to intellectual property infringement. This has sparked a discussion within the gaming community about the implications of such actions on modders and content creators.
Toasted took to Twitter to share his experience, stating that Warner Bros. had issued a notification claiming that his Mortal Kombat mods infringed on the company's IP rights. As a result, he was forced to remove all Mortal Kombat 1 videos from his channel to avoid potential copyright strikes that could lead to the deletion of his entire channel.
These are all the videos I've had to private, I'm sorry to everyone who enjoyed them but Warner Bros isn't really giving me a choice pic.twitter.com/AB6fop5ot3
— Toasted (@ToastedShoes) May 23, 2024
It's worth noting that Toasted's mod videos featured various characters from popular franchises like Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Warner Bros., and Dreamworks, creating unique and entertaining content for his audience. These mods garnered over one billion views across different platforms, showcasing the creativity and talent of the modding community.
Despite the support Toasted received from fans and even NetherRealm's development chief Ed Boon, Warner Bros. stood firm on their decision to issue a cease and desist, leaving Toasted with no choice but to comply. This incident raises questions about the balance between protecting intellectual property rights and allowing creative expression within the gaming community.
Warner Bros.' actions come at a crucial time, as the company prepares to launch MultiVersus, a brawler game featuring characters from various Warner Bros. properties. The timing of the cease and desist adds another layer of complexity to the situation, highlighting the challenges faced by modders in navigating the legal landscape of game modifications.
This isn't the first time Toasted has faced backlash over his mod videos, as he previously encountered issues with Nintendo regarding a Palworld mod featuring Pokémon characters. These incidents underscore the ongoing struggle for modders to push the boundaries of creativity while respecting the rights of game developers and publishers.
Don’t miss out on everything at XP Gained!
Daily Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo, PC , Steam Deck & Gaming News. We have it all covered. Don't forget to follow us on X (formerly Twitter).
