Fearless And United - Guards, or FAU-G for short, has made the headlines recently in the Indian gaming community after the PUBG Mobile ban. It’s the homegrown product of the Bangaluru based game distributor and developer nCore. Marketed by the famous Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar and advised by the experienced entrepreneur Vishal Gondal, FAU-G has already built quite a sturdy foundation for itself.
Yet, the game also has a fair share of a bad reputation regarding its first-released poster. Some point out that it resembles that of a music band named Collision of Innocence when others say it is pirated from Shutterstock. As soon as the news sweeps through the Internet, people take no time to criticize the developer for plagiarism. It seems like nCore finds itself stuck between a rock and a hard place, since copying others’ work is a strict “NO” in the modern age.
nCore’s Clarifications:
However, nCore finally has something to say about their allegedly pirating action. The company is aware of the whole situation on the Internet and shares its side of the story in a tweet. nCore clarifies that it has legitimately bought the license to use the image from Shutterstock. The company has no intention of copying or stealing anybody’s work.
That's being said, the online community can now be sure about the origin of the poster. nCore does not deny the fact that it comes from Shutterstock. However, it did purchased the right to use the image for the sake of FAU-G's first poster. The game publisher also announced in the tweet that it would take legal actions against those who spread baseless rumors and fake news for their personal interests.
Another rumor has that FAU-G was conceptualized by the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who committed suicide in June. nCore also revoked this claim, calling it “false and baseless”. Indeed, there is no information that may solidify such an opinion.
In order to clarify the company's origins, nCore cited the precise background in the post. It was founded by Dayanadhi MG and Vishal Gondal - the godfather of the Indian gaming industry. There is no sign nor evidence of Sushant Singh Rajput's contribution. The tweet also declares FAU-G is intellectual product of nCore.
About nCore
nCore is a Bangaluru based game publisher that focuses on the mobile market. It currently has a team of 25 members working on the upcoming release of FAU-G alongside the co-founders Dayanadhi MG and Vishal Gondal. Vishal himself possesses quite a knowledge in the gaming industry with his 20 years of experience. He started his first company, Indiagames, in 1998 and sold it to Walt Disney in 2012. Vishal Gondal is considered the “father of the Indian gaming industry”.
Vishal shares that nCore recruited developers to work on the FAU-G project long before the PUBG Mobile ban. The game promises to bring a touching lesson on the noble sacrification of the country’s soldiers. According to some sources, the first level of FAU-G will take place in the Galway Valley in Ladakh - where 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives over a border dispute.
Furthermore, FAU-G will not be a Battle Royale game, and the publishers have no intention of competing with PUBG Mobile. nCore announces 20% of the overall revenue generated from the game would be donated to the Bharat Ke Veer: India’s Bravehearts initiative to support the families of the country’s armed forces.