NCSoft has lost its second-instance appeal against Kakao Games regarding claims of copyright infringement.

On the 12th, the 5-2 Civil Division of the Seoul High Court dismissed NCSoft's appeal against Kakao Games and its subsidiary, XL Games, upholding the original ruling from the first trial.

The court stated, "It is difficult to view NCSoft’s game as a work that possesses creative individuality distinct from prior games," and rejected the copyright infringement claims. Furthermore, the court dismissed the unfair competition claims, noting that elements such as scenarios, characters, and items often fall into the public domain and are available for anyone to use.

In April 2023, NCSoft filed a lawsuit against Kakao Games and XL Games, citing similarities to 'Lineage 2M'. At the time, NCSoft stated, "We determined that this went beyond genre similarities and constituted unauthorized use and plagiarism of our IP."

However, NCSoft lost the first-instance trial last January. The court at the time concluded that the components and game systems of 'Lineage 2M' were elements that already existed in previous games or are commonly used, leading to the dismissal of NCSoft's claims.

An official from NCSoft remarked, "We will meticulously review the verdict and seek a further judgment through the higher court."

A representative for Kakao Games stated, "We respect the ruling of the second-instance court and will do our best to provide a stable service for ArcheAge War."