Can Game Developers Copy Themselves?

The games industry is no stranger to legal battles, and a recent lawsuit filed by Nexon against Ironmace, the developer of Dark and Darker, has brought the issue of copyright infringement to the forefront. At the heart of the dispute is the question of whether Ironmace's game is too similar to Nexon's own project, The P3 Project, which was allegedly copied by former Nexon employees who left to form Ironmace. Nexon claims that Ironmace's use of similar character designs, game mechanics, and even Unreal Engine Marketplace assets constitutes copyright infringement. However, the case raises complex questions about the nature of creativity and ownership in the games industry. Can developers truly 'copy themselves' by using similar ideas and assets in a new project, or are they simply building upon established tropes and conventions? The lawsuit highlights the tension between protecting intellectual property and allowing developers to draw inspiration from their own experiences and previous work.