Iron Maiden Suing Ion Maiden Devs

Many of you are likely aware of Voidpoint and 3D Realms' brilliant homage to classic first-person shooters, Ion Maiden. The title picks right up where the likes of Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior, and more left off, providing players with an experience that is entirely reminiscent of the shooters of yesteryear. That said, it would appear that metal band Iron Maiden is not a fan of the game, but it isn't because of all of the action that it contains. Instead, it is due to the fact that they believe people will get the game and the band confused.

You would think that first-person shooters and metal bands go hand in hand. Just look at DOOM and Mick Gordon. Unfortunately, that apparently has not stopped the band's holding company from filing a $2 million lawsuit against Ion Maiden publishers 3D Realms. "Defendant's Ion Maiden name is nearly identical to the Iron Maiden trademark in appearance, sound and overall commercial impression," reads the lawsuit. "Defendant also uses the Ion Maiden name to sell merchandise including shirts and mouse pads."

In response to hearing that a lawsuit had been filed against them, 3D Realms issued a statement. "We've recently heard about a lawsuit filed in California by the band Iron Maiden, claiming our old-school first-person shooter Ion Maiden is infringing on their trademark," they said.

"From what we've heard, the suit claims our main character, Shelly Harrison, originally debuting in 2016's Bombshell, is based on their musician Steve Harris; our skull bomb icon found in-game is based on their skeleton mascot Eddie; our logo in itself is based on theirs; and other frivolous claims anyone who has played Ion Maiden would find more over the top than Shelly's "Loverboy", her signature 18-round triple-barreled revolver.

"We at 3D Realms, our co-publishers 1C Entertainment, and developer Voidpoint will review our options once we receive official notice of the lawsuit and will make any necessary decisions at the appropriate time."

It is certainly interesting to see this lawsuit pop up from the metal band, and it will be even more interesting to see how it turns out for the parties involved. In the meantime, Ion Maiden is currently available on Steam via Early Access, with console versions arriving this year for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

What do you think about all of this? Do you believe that Iron Maiden has a case, or will this not end the way they are hoping? Sound off in the comment section below, or feel free to hit me up over on Twitter @anarkE7!