It Takes Two creator Josef Fares has been hit with a trademark claim from gaming giant Take-Two Interactive. The claim has forced Fares' studio Hazelight to abandon ownership of the game's name, so if this issue isn't resolved, it could be renamed in the future.
What is this It Takes Two copyright claim all about?
It's emerged that It Takes Two was slapped with this trademark claim shortly after being released in March of this year. Despite the incredibly strong initial performance, it seems Fares and his studio couldn't escape the corporate gaze of Take-Two, who subsequently filed a trademark claim against It Takes Two's name. Hazelight apparently filed a notice of abandonment with the US Patent Office just a few days after It Takes Two was released.
Speaking to Eurogamer, Hazelight said it could not comment on "ongoing disputes", but that it hopes the issue "will be resolved". Hazelight doesn't provide any details on whether it plans to rename It Takes Two or whether this change will impact its ability to market the game as it currently stands. Right now, It Takes Two is still available under its original name on Steam and other platforms. Only time will tell whether that changes or not.
Trademark claims in gaming are nothing new
We've seen trademark claims of this kind before. They're often filed by massive publishers and companies scared of compromising their IP in some way. Earlier this year, Activision sued an indie developer over the name Warzone, while a trademark battle with energy drink company Monster forced a name change in Ubisoft's Immortals: Fenyx Rising. In the case of Take-Two, it looks like this isn't even the only battle it's currently involved in. Eurogamer reports that Take-Two is contesting names related to terms like "mafia", "social club", and "rockstar", with companies like Florida's Rockstar Axe Throwing currently opposing trademark claims from the studio.
Only time will tell whether Josef Fares and Hazelight will have to rename It Takes Two, or whether the two companies will reach some kind of accord. In the meantime, you can grab It Takes Two on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox. It's also currently available via the Xbox Game Pass subscription service, since an EA Play subscription is included if you're a subscriber.
Do you think It Takes Two should be allowed to keep its name? Let us know in the comments below!