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Gods and Monsters was renamed to Immortals: Fenyx Rising over issues with Monster Energy

A trademark dispute between Monster Energy and Ubisoft led to the renaming of the latter's new action-adventure game.

Donovan Erskine

September 16, 2020 8:30 AM

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Many were puzzled when Ubisoft announced that they were renaming Gods and Monsters to Immortals: Fenyx Rising. The action-adventure title looks fairly different from recent releases from Ubisoft, and is shaping up to be one of the bigger releases of 2020. Despite the game impressing players, many wondered why the publisher would change its title from the simple and easy to remember “Gods and Monsters” to the mouthful that is “Immortals: Fenyx Rising.” Now, we know that the change came as a result of legal issues over the title between Ubisoft and Monster Energy.

When Ubisoft went to trademark the title, Monster Energy stepped in and made a claim that it would cause confusion with their brand. The legal documents surrounding the issue were discovered and reported on by TechRaptor. In their statement, Monster Energy said:

While it feels like a stretch to believe that there would be genuine audience confusion between the Gods and Monsters video game and the Monster Energy drink. That being said, there is precedent for Monster to have some concern, as their name is heavily intertwined with gaming. From endorsements, to tie-in drinks, and other sponsorships, Monster is a popular brand within the gaming space. Though it may sound a bit silly, it stands to reason why the company may push back against a title like Gods and Monsters.

While “legal issues with Monster Energy” was not on the list of reasons we figured Ubisoft decided to rename their action-adventure game, we’ve now got some clarity on how it all went down. Immortals: Fenyx Rising was featured during the latest Ubisoft Forward and is slated to release this year on December 3.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a young journalist from Maryland, who likes to game. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge Scream nerd and film fanatic that will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_