According to reports, Epic Games has taken full ownership of Jazz Jackrabbit, which has stopped its original creator, Cliff Bleszinski, from reviving the extremely popular classic video game franchise.
The veteran video game designer, known for his work with the Gears of War franchise, has claimed that this attempt to regain control of the game, Jazz Jackrabbit, has concluded with the creators of Fortnite retaining its complete rights. Following the iconic green rabbit’s introduction to Fortnite as a Sprite in Chapter 7, Season 4, Bleszinski sought a legal route to regain control over the franchise.
According to him, he created the character Jazz Jackrabbit when he was 17, before joining EPIC Games. While EPIC maintains full ownership, the other party was able to produce the original agreement, which could suggest their respective positions on the matter. The absence of paperwork proved instrumental in bringing his legal pursuit to an unsavoury conclusion.
In his conversation with IGN, Bleszinski revealed that EPIC Games continues to pay him a royalty for the Jazz Jackrabbit sales on GOG, which hints that the original contractual documentation could still exist somewhere. Given that he created the paperwork years ago, he lacks the necessary ammunition to take on EPIC Games through legal channels.
Cliff Bleszinski Considers a Spiritual Successor to Jazz Jackrabbit
Accepting the difficulties surrounding the situation, Bleszinski has considered a “spiritual successor” to Jazz Jackrabbit as he rules out conventional methods to revive the series. Reviving the essence of the series under a different umbrella is understood by him as the best way forward. The “spiritual successor” will likely carry over the elements of the original character that avoid invoking a legal battle with EPIC.
As the legal battle concludes without any distinct resolution, Bleszinski is unlikely to get control of his original creation. However, given the character’s recent appearance in Fortnite, he can use this opportunity to kick off a project that builds on his freshly minted popularity. Only time will tell how the two parties choose to resolve this, but for now, Bleszinski has ruled out the possibility of reviving the series.
