New NetEase FPS Sparks Warzone 'Rip-Off' Claims, But Some Call of Duty Fans Are Happy to See It

Call of Duty fans are torn about NetEase Games' ECC: Redline, a new FPS that many have called a "rip-off" with the power to fill the void for frustrated Warzone players. NetEase called its new shooter a "self-developed extreme-sports tactical shooter" when revealing it just days ago. It's yet another big swing from the China-based tech company that boasts breakneck gameplay on PC via Steam and mobile devices, but in the hours since its big debut, it's also been called a "1:1 rip" of Activision's Call of Duty: Warzone, and it's not too hard to see why. Viewers say guns look, kick, and move in a way that seems familiar, but the similarities don't stop there. Everything down the UI is being investigated by FPS enjoyers, too, with things like the sound effects also evoking the same kind of gritty action Call of Duty is known for. Even the way the first-person camera blurs when dropping from heights might feel familiar to fans of Warzone and other shooters. Even with characters that present their own unique abilities and gadgets, ECC: Redline has had a hard time escaping the comparisons online.

Meanwhile, Call of Duty has faced its own struggles in the six years since the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot introduced Warzone in 2019. Like so many other popular ongoing FPS experiences, the battle royale offshoot's popularity has ebbed and flowed, with many of its millions of fans often still calling back to its launch build and its first map, Verdansk, as the glory days. This looks about as close of a 1:1 rip of Warzone as someone could legally get away with.

As the broader Call of Duty brand goes through its own struggles, some players—even those willing to admit NetEase may have gone too far in a few places—say a polished-looking shooter like ECC: Redline could scratch a pretty specific itch. Some even believe the NetEase shooter could give Call of Duty a run for its money. "If ECC: Redline actually has good servers, movement, AND listens to its community… COD might finally have to start trying again," one post on X/Twitter said. Another player acknowledged the similarities before saying the NetEase game "looks better tbh."

NetEase has faced criticism regarding its approach to previous games in the past. On the other hand is Hyper Front, a 5v5 tactical shooter that Riot Games launched a lawsuit against after it drew comparisons to Valorant.

ECC: Redline currently has no release date but is being billed as a free-to-play game. Warzone, meanwhile, is slated to receive a slew of new updates when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches later this month.