Playdead, the Danish studio renowned for titles like Limbo and Inside, is pursuing compensation from its former CEO, Dino Patti. The claim revolves around what Playdead describes as unauthorized exploitation of its trademarks and copyrighted materials during commercial advertising.

In a confirmation sent to Game Developer, Playdead stated, “We have issued demands to Dino Patti as it has become necessary to defend our trademarks and copyrights, which are vital for Playdead’s reputation and operations.”

This notice was initially revealed by Patti himself, who mentioned receiving a ’legal love letter’ from Arnt Jensen, his prior business partner, only days prior. Through a LinkedIn post, Patti shared that he had faced threats of legal action simply for posting a publicly available image from the game Limbo.

The letter indicated that Playdead is seeking a sum of 500,000 DKK (an approximate equivalent of £56,000). This number represents what they believe to be suitable recompense for the infringement. Additionally, the letter suggests that Patti is misleading stakeholders regarding his contributions to the game’s development, allegedly exaggerating his role in the creative processes of the studio.

Playdead has maintained that this isn’t the first instance of such demands being made of Patti, noting that similar situations have arisen multiple times in the past nine years. Patti asserts that previous attempts by Jensen to intimidate him were met with the promise of public disclosure.

While the studio has not released a title since Inside launched, it is reportedly working on a new project described as a third-person sci-fi adventure.