Square Enix and HK Ten Tree settle copyright lawsuit over Metal Storm

Square Enix and mobile publisher HK Ten Tree have agreed to settle a lawsuit after the latter was accused of using assets from a cancelled project.

The pair had previously partnered on Front Mission 2089: Borderscape, an entry in Square’s Front Mission IP which was ultimately cancelled nearly three years ago. The licence agreement was terminated on October 4th, 2022 with all rights, including copyright, remaining with Square.

HK Ten Tree later released its own turn-based mecha-battle RPG called Metal Storm, sparking a lawsuit from Square Enix. On March 13th, 2025 the company filed a suit against HK Ten Tree claiming that it had used assets from the cancelled Front Mission 2089: Borderscape.

As spotted by Automaton, HK Ten Tree has now posted a notice of reconciliation, apologising for any inconvenience caused and confirming that the company has “agreed to resolve disputes with our smart device game app Metal Storm by a settlement” – as translated by Google.

Square Enix has also officially terminated the suit.

Cause for a lawsuit

Available on mobile and PC, Metal Storm released in China in late 2023 and in Japan in October 2024. It’s also available in Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea, with a global rollout expected later this year.

When Square Enix filed its suit, the Japanese games maker claimed that “substantial elements of the licenced game” were present in Metal Storm, including game mechanics and visual designs. The company sought a trial by jury and to receive HK Ten Tree’s profits from Metal Storm. It also sought damages.

Alternatively, Square Enix stated that it would seek a maximum of $150,000 for each copyright violation.

AppMagic estimates suggest that between Google Play and the App Store, Metal Storm has generated $34.9 million to date. China has led spending with almost $14m on the App Store alone, followed by Japan’s $13.4m between stores.

Now that a settlement has been agreed with an unknown sum or terms, and Square has formally terminated the suit, HK Ten Tree has asked fans to “please continue to play this game”.