Warner Bros. Files a Patent for Shadow of Mordor’s Famous Game Mechanic

Warner Bros. is trying to get a patent for the critically acclaimed Nemesis system from Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. The Nemesis system was the highlight of Shadow of Mordor and its sequel Shadow of War.

Upon the release of Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, the Nemesis system was a stand-out and was heavily marketed for a good reason. The system can create some interesting stories, all influenced by the player and their actions, making it a whole lot of fun.

Such a system has many possible applications in other games; however, it is not clear when the system will be seen again in any other game as Warner Brothers are trying to get a patent for the Nemesis system.

Warner Brothers have applied for a patent for the famous Nemesis system from Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel, Shadow of War. The patent originally filed in 2016 is currently listed as “pending.”

Developed by the people at Washington-based studio Monolith Productions, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor’s Nemesis system tracks player’s in-game actions to create enemies, like the Orcs in the game, who are aware of the player’s actions. Due to the system, they are capable of remembering their encounters with the player, rise through the ranks and enact revenge.

The patent is dubbed “Nemesis characters, nemesis forts, social vendettas and followers in computer game” and was originally filed in March 2016. As of now, the patent is assigned to Warner Bros Entertainment Inc. in 2019, and the current status is listed as “pending.” However, there is a chance that the patent will be granted.

As per the patent listing, the US Patent and Trademark Office rejected the patent in November 2019, but it was re-examined in 2020, and in October 2020, a “Notice of Allowance” was issued. It means that if the paperwork and the fees are submitted in time, then the patent would be granted.

The news that Warner Bros has applied for the Nemesis system’s patent has sparked a debate about whether a gaming studio should be allowed to patent a game mechanic. Obsidian design director Josh Sawyer said in a Twitter thread,

“If you take someone’s design and make a better version of it, you should be given a trophy and a triumph through the streets and the people who made the previous version should applaud you and say, ‘wow that was really cool’.”

Josh Sawyer, Obsidian Design Director

However, over the years, many developers have patented game mechanics. Sega held a patent for Crazy Taxi‘s compass arrow, and Nintendo holding a patent for Eternal Darkness’s sanity meter are some examples.

About Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Developed by Monolith Productions, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is an open-world action-adventure game that offers single-player gameplay.

Shadow of Mordor is a story of revenge. You play as a ranger named Talion who is fueled by vengeance and wants to make Sauron’s army pay for killing his wife and son.