Developers from the indie studio Ward B stated that the Kalashnikov concert was illegally using the design of the weapon to create its own models. This was reported by the IGN portal.
Studio Ward B was founded in 2019. Previously working on Overwatch, Halo, Call of Duty and other games, the developers planned to create a multiplayer shooter Oceanic. In the early stages, they created the concept of the EMP28 shotgun – the authors of the shooter presented it to sponsors for funding.
In 2020, a representative of the Kalashnikov arms concern contacted the authors of the title. He asked for permission to use Ward B's designs to create real weapons and toys. In return, the concern would grant the rights to use the Kalashnikov brand in Oceanic, as well as three physical samples without internal parts, but after that they stopped communicating. In August 2020, the arms concern introduced the new MP-155 Ultima shotgun, “inspired by computer games.”
Developers from studio Ward B noted the similarity of the weapon to the design of the equipment from Oceanic. The authors of the shooter contacted the representatives of Kalashnikov, but did not receive an answer. In a comment to IGN, the weapon manufacturers noted that they decided not to continue cooperation with the developers of the shooter due to the financial instability of the latter and copyright problems.
Instead, Kalashnikov turned to a Russian designer to create the MP-155 Ultima, providing renders from Oceanic as a basis. Studio Ward B demanded to stop production, but did not get a reaction from the arms concern.
In 2021, the MP-155 Ultima shotgun appeared in Escape from Tarkov under a license from the Kalashnikov concern. Back then, Ward B reached out to Battlestate Games, reporting illegal design use, but did not get a response either. Representatives of the indie studio noted that they do not have the means to litigate in a Russian court. However, they do not regret the current situation, since many people found out about the design anyway.
Shotgun Design by Studio Ward B. Source: IGN