Iron Maiden suing 3D Realms over Ion Maiden game

Heavy Metal band Iron Maiden is suing 3D Realms over Ion Maiden, alleging that the retro shooter infringes on its trademark.

The lawsuit claims the title of the game will cause “confusion among consumers” and “is attempting to trade off on Iron Maiden’s notoriety”, the Guardian reports.

3D Realms said it has yet to receive official notice of the suit, which was filed on May 28 and is seeking $2 million (£1.58 million) in damages.

It said: “From what we’ve heard, the suit claims our main character, Shelly Harrison, originally debuting in 2016’s Bombshell, is based on their musician Steve Harris; our skull bomb icon found in-game is based on their skeleton mascot Eddie; our logo in itself is based on theirs; and other frivolous claims anyone who has played Ion Maiden would find more over the top than Shelly’s “Loverboy”, her signature 18-round triple-barreled revolver.

“We at 3D Realms, our co-publishers 1C Entertainment, and developer Voidpoint will review our options once we receive official notice of the lawsuit and will make any necessary decisions at the appropriate time.

“Regardless,” 3D Realms added, “everyone continues to work diligently on Ion Maiden to deliver the best possible experience later this year.”

Ion Maiden is currently on Steam Early Access. It’s scheduled for release on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Switch.