Fan-made Oblivion remake Skyblivion runs into legal trouble with a former volunteer
(Image credit: Rebelzize)
Skyblivion (the enthusiast-created Oblivion reimagining that’s being reconstructed within Skyrim) has been awaited for quite some time, but we may need to postpone our anticipation for the modification to debut due to a recent legal complication.
One of the project’s ambitious lead modders, Rebelzize, shared a video today addressing the current circumstances. “Not long ago, a past volunteer who aided in Skyblivion’s creation exited the project. We wish to be entirely forthcoming with the community about the events following their exit,” he articulates in the description.
“Following their departure, we engaged in multiple conversations regarding the ongoing use and upkeep of their contributions. The primary controversy revolved around their disapproval of our decompilation of elements of their work — a crucial measure our team undertook to sustain functionality and rectify issues in systems already integrated into the project after access to the original source code repository was revoked,” Rebelzize elaborates.
Rebelzize refrains from naming the previous modder to prevent sparking an online “witch hunt,” yet they ultimately delivered a series of legal threats to the Skyblivion team, demanding the real names and residential addresses of several other volunteer team members – “something that we are simply unwilling to disclose to someone we are not even acquainted with,” Rebelzize states, labeling the demands as “excessive.” The former modder is reportedly pursuing legal action for damages exceeding €30,000.
“A ‘take your ball and go home’ tactic like this fundamentally undermines the cooperative, open nature of the modding community that enables massive passion projects like this to thrive,” Rebelzize continues. “To shield our volunteers from unnecessary pressure and ensure a clean separation, we, in good faith, removed their code, reconstructing and enhancing the system from the base up.”
Despite the removal of their contributions from Skyblivion, the nameless former volunteer has seemingly “continued to escalate their threats.” The Skyblivion team is currently seeking assistance from anyone knowledgeable in IP and GDPR law, directing interested parties to their official website.
