The naval combat game Modern Warships has faced criticism after an independent artist discovered their design had been lifted without authorization and integrated into the game. Artstorm, the developer of the PvP online game, has since admitted to the plagiarism.
Concept artist Alex Jay Brady posted on X (formerly Twitter) that their 2014 design for an "ekranoplan"—a ground effect vehicle described as a hybrid surface/air ship—was used by Modern Warships without permission. Brady noted that while the game's rendition was more detailed than their sketches, it retained conceptual errors from the original design, such as planes taking off backward. Brady stated they would have accepted the use of their design had they been asked and compensated.
Artstorm responded publicly on X, admitting that Brady's design was used as a reference without proper clearance and apologized. The developer stated they would contact Brady directly to resolve the matter.
News outlets have pointed out that the plagiarized vehicle is available for purchase within the freemium game at a significant cost, estimated to be between $50 and $100 in in-game currency or up to $700 for outright purchase. The situation has drawn comparisons to Wargaming's much larger title, World of Warships, due to stylistic similarities in promotional material. Modern Warships is published by Gaijin, known for War Thunder.