Legal Battle Erupts Among Playdead Founders

The founders of Playdead, Dino Patti and Arnt Jensen, find themselves at odds over intellectual property rights, causing quite a stir.

This conflict traces back to a LinkedIn post from 2024 that Patti has since removed. In the post, he had shared an image owned by Jensen, leading Jensen to demand 500,000 DKK (approximately $72,600) as “suitable compensation and reimbursement,” according to reports from Game Developer.

Jensen’s lawyers issued a stern warning in a letter, which Patti described as a “legal love letter” on LinkedIn. They emphasized, “We want to reassert and warn that using Playdead’s assets and disclosing insider knowledge for commercial gain breaches confidentiality agreements and is considered an infringement.”

The letter further accuses Patti of misleading others by implying he had a pivotal, creative role in developing Limbo. The lawyers contend this is untrue and could mislead business partners and the gaming industry, as Patti did not play a crucial creative part in the game’s development.

Patti has publicly expressed that Jensen has tried to “bully” him in the past, prompting him to bring these issues to light.

In a statement emailed to Game Developer, Playdead clarifies that they have “submitted demands” to Patti concerning what they allege to be “infringement and unauthorized use of Playdead’s trademarks and copyrighted works in commercial and marketing contexts.”

The studio elaborated, “Taking this step is necessary to safeguard our trademarks and copyrights, which are vital to Playdead’s business integrity and reputation.”

Playdead, established in xxx, made a name for itself with the releases of two beloved indie titles—Limbo in 2010 and Inside in 2016. Patti departed from the company in 2016, amid rumors of a falling out with Jensen.