Bethesda is reportedly initiating legal action against the creator of a Doom-themed memecoin and its associated browser game, Doomsol. The cryptocurrency, known as $DOOM, utilized a simplified version of Doom for promotional purposes, where players could earn Solana's native cryptocurrency, Sol, by topping the leaderboard. The project, which emerged in early August, has since been taken down, and Bethesda is now pursuing legal recourse.
This action follows a trend of video game intellectual properties being targeted by cryptocurrency scams. Notably, the official Pokémon X account was recently compromised to promote a $POKEMON memecoin scam. In the case of $DOOM, Sandy Petersen, a designer who previously worked on several Doom titles, extensively promoted the memecoin and its game on social media. Petersen posted videos of himself purchasing $DOOM and playing Doomsol, asserting that Doom's open license made the project legally permissible.
Bethesda, however, disagrees. While the company generally permits creative reuse of the Doom license, it prohibits its exploitation for personal financial gain. According to Kotaku, a Bethesda representative stated that the legal action is partly due to the "risk of confusion around affiliation or endorsement." The specific identity of the individual being served legal papers has not been disclosed, and Petersen's precise involvement with the memecoin itself remains unclear, though he is listed as the game's creator on the now-archived Doomsol website.
The creator of the $DOOM memecoin reportedly initiated a rug pull as early as August 4, causing the cryptocurrency's value to plummet. Petersen made a brief mention of the project on social media at the end of August before ceasing further commentary.