The South Korean company SHIFT UPdeveloper of the popular smartphone game “GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE“, issued a public apology on September 24 due to the accusations that some of its characters were too similar to the works of illustrator Neco. The controversy arose after it was reported that two characters in the game resembled creations by the artist, who is known for his distinctive visual style.

According to SHIFT UP's statement, the company received these complaints and, after a series of discussions with Neco, decided to stop using one of the characters, an NPC. However, the other character involved, named “Scarlet: Black Shadow,” will continue to be used with the illustrator’s permission. The company expressed its gratitude to Neco for its understanding and pledged to prevent such problems from happening again in the future.
The controversy originated in December 2023, when the characters “Scarlet: Black Shadow” and the aforementioned NPC were implemented. Since their release, fans have pointed out that the design of both characters was very similar to Neco's works, which has sparked growing concern on social media. SHIFT UP has acknowledged the errors and publicly apologized to Neco and his fans.
The illustrator also spoke out on the matter. In a December 2023 post, Neco mentioned that NIKKE management had sent him a direct message admitting the similarities and apologizing. However, by January 2024, Neco decided to seek legal help to resolve the conflict, considering that a personal solution would be difficult.
Finally, after receiving a formal apology from SHIFT UP and reaching an agreement, Neco informed his followers that he considered the matter resolved and that he would not offer any further statements on the matter. He also warned that he will take legal action if he receives offensive comments from third parties related to this case.

The resolution of the conflict has generated diverse opinions among players and fans of “GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE”:
- «It is good to know that it was resolved peacefully, although we do not know the details of the negotiations.».
- «They acknowledged the similarity in design and the playable character remains intact. Only the NPC was removed.».
- «It must have cost a fortune to keep Scarlet. If we suddenly couldn't use that character, the scandal would have been huge.».
- «The NPC had too many similarities, but if Scarlet had been rejected, no one would be able to wear that tight black suit with sword in the future.».
- «The fact that Neco allowed the use of the playable character speaks well of how SHIFT UP handled the situation.».
- «It's hard to create original characters these days with so many years of content in video games, anime, and manga. The important thing is that they came to an agreement».
- «Someone on the design team probably missed the similarities, but it's hard to monitor everyone's morale on a large project.».
- «The situation was clear, Scarlet looked too much like a neco's work. The illustrator was very generous».
- «They say they will work to prevent it from happening again, but they have not explained why it happened.».
- «It is inevitable that some characters look alike today. So many creations make it difficult not to fall into accidental similarities.».
- «This is the first time I've seen a dispute of this kind that doesn't end in a fight, but in a peaceful resolution with permission to use it.».
This incident highlights the challenges facing the video game industry in creating original characters. and the complexities of respecting copyright in a medium as prolific as today's. Despite the challenges, SHIFT UP has managed to avoid a major controversy thanks to the cooperation of neco and his team.
Fountain: 4Gamer