The Elder Scrolls Online is accused of plagiarism; ZeniMax acknowledges it

Undoubtedly, the internet has changed communication, and immediacy is common, so it's possible to learn about controversial issues involving us within hours or days. Hence, incidents like art theft or plagiarism are a constant topic, and this time the scandal is on The Elder Scrolls Online's side for using a fan's artwork without permission.

THE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE UNDER FIRE FOR FAN ART PLAGIARISM

This weekend, artist Relan Daevath revealed on their Twitter account that their tribal tattoo designs made as fan art for The Elder Scrolls Online were taken without permission and proper credit by the game developers and sold as skins. Beyond the financial aspect, the artist demanded that the online game's responsible parties give credit for what they created because otherwise, they would be appropriating their designs without permission.

19 jule 2020 i posted this #tesonline fanart on Tumblr. Now in 2023 I see my art… in ESO crown skin called MERCYMOTHER'S BODY ART (why Almalexia? It's Sotha Sil here)

Do you see ANY difference?@TESOnline , hello. It's my art but I'm not even mentioned?? pic.twitter.com/N4Vn3mEZEy

— Relan Daevath (@daevath) April 9, 2023

Criticism was quick to follow against The Elder Scrolls Online developers, and the complaints escalated to the point where they reached ZeniMax, the company that responded through the game's official Twitter account, assuring that they are aware of the situation, have been in contact with the artist, and are working on a solution that will satisfy both parties.

We are aware of the situation with the ESO Fan Artist. It was never our intention to include any community fan art without proper credit. We are in contact with the artist and will work with them to make sure that there is a proper resolution.

— The Elder Scrolls Online (@TESOnline) April 10, 2023

This is not the first time a video game has been in this situation, and it is likely that controversies of this kind will arise in the coming years. An example of this is what happened in 2021 with designer Judy A. Juracek, who accused Capcom of stealing elements from her photographs to turn them into art for their video games, including Resident Evil 4. This led to a lawsuit in which evidence was presented, demonstrating that the Japanese company's developers simply copied and pasted files.