SUMMARY
- Max Payne is an action series made by the joint effort of Rockstar Games and Remedy Entertainment, spanning a trilogy.
- The original 3 games received high praise and a remake of the first 2 games is being made by Remedy Entertainment and funded by Rockstar.
Due in part to their collaboration on the Max Payne series, GTA 6 developer Rockstar Games and Alan Wake 2 creator Remedy Entertainment have a long history together. Nonetheless, Rockstar’s parent company Take-Two Interactive has filed two trademark lawsuits against Remedy. In the documents, Take-Two Interactive argues that Remedy’s new logo might lead to “confusion on the part of the public.”
The new Remedy Entertainment logo was submitted to the European Union’s and the United Kingdom’s Intellectual Property Office last year, and Rockstar Games is against it. Take-Two objects to Remedies’ new logo, which was revealed in April 2023 and bears a stylized “R,” saying it is too close to Rockstar’s own “R” emblem.
Take-Two will forever be known as one of the scummiest corporations in the industry.
They’re helping Remedy remake Max Payne 1&2 and then enter a legal dispute over the letter “R” in their logo. Unbelievable. https://t.co/JaH6iOwM3R
— Detective (@that1detectiv3) January 16, 2024
Notably, Rockstar and Remedy are collaborating on a remake package of Max Payne 1 and 2, even in light of the trademark battle. The Max Payne 1 & 2 remake is a single game that Remedy stated has “progressed into a production readiness stage” in October of last year.
Will Max Payne’s Remakes be affected by the trademark dispute?
Fans are concerned about how the ongoing trademark dispute between Remedy Entertainment and Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games, may affect the progress of Max Payne 1 and 2. The creators of Alan Wake 2 stated in June 2022 that they will be working with Rockstar Games to bring back their renowned gaming franchise.
Remedy Entertainment and Take-Two began a trademark battle in 2023, shortly after the former revealed a new logo. Nonetheless, in 2022, a plan to combine the original two Max Payne games into a single game was revealed, in collaboration with Rockstar Games. Furthermore, the Northlight Engine, a game engine developed by Remedy and also utilized for Alan Wake 2, would be used for the remakes.
When the Max Payne remake was formally announced in April 2022, it was still only a concept. It didn’t go to the proof-of-concept stage, which takes three to six months, until April 2023.
Regarding Max Payne 1 and 2, the trademark issue might not have much of an impact on their progress. First off, Remedy and Rockstar have a lengthy history together. Therefore, it is conceivable that the two businesses will be able to work out their differences before the 2025 proceedings begin.
Take-Two would have until November 2025 to provide more proof supporting their claim, even if this case gets to trial. In the event that the American behemoths win, Remedy would only need to go back to their iconic original logo.