Summary
Plagiarism is almost universally a bad thing. It sucks, and usually ends in nothing but annoyance and pain for the person being plagiarized. For artist and Fallout mega-fanZack Finfrock, things have seemingly worked out for the best after hisFallout 76artwork was allegedly used by Bethesda.
On July 2, Finfrock, who recentlysuccessfully crowdfunded a Fallout Fan Filmtitled Fallout: Breaking, put a call-out on Twitter to Fallout 76 creative director Jon Rush after he found what appeared to be a piece of his art representing an item in the game’s Atom Shop. Shortly after sharing his plight, Finfrock received a response that may have changed the trajectory of his artistic career.
What Transpired With Finfrock And Bethesda?
Finfrock’s “Fallout meme,” which depicted a group of Vault Dwellers standing in a circle, was seemingly spotted in Fallout 76. It represented an item called the “Flag Waving Bundle,” prompting the artist to reach out to Bethesda.
He received a near-immediate response from the video game giants, citing a “mix-up with an external vendor.” At this point, Finfrock saw his opportunity and took it.
He told Rush that “it would be a dream to work with you” and that he’d “love to take this as an opportunity to open that door.” The response he received would have been music to his ears, with Rush telling Finfrock that he’d like to set up a contract for him to create “some artwork for our message of the day and bundles assets.” The exchange ended amicably, with Finfrock receiving an official apology from Rush, and further compliments on his artwork.
A Familiar Situation
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time a fan’s artwork has been used for an official product. Earlier this year, Magic: The Gathering creators, Wizards of the Coast,suspended an artistfor allegedly plagiarizing artwork on the Trouble in Pairs card. Last year, the company was alsoforced to release a statementafter a piece of unofficial artwork was reportedly used for a version of the Wayfarer’s Bauble card.
In 2022, Activision Blizzard also had toremove the Loyal Samoyed skin from Call of Dutyafter being accused of plagiarizing the anthropomorphic dog. The company released a statement apologising for the “misstep” but never outright admitted it was stolen.
