Stellaris: Galaxy Command pulled down for a time to remove stolen Halo 4 artwork

What you need to know

• Stellaris: Galaxy Command is a spin on the popular strategy game Stellaris.
• Players noticed that the game was using artwork taken from Halo 4.
• The game has been taken offline temporarily to remove this artwork.
• Paradox Interactive issued an apology on Twitter.

Earlier today, we reported on the announcement of Stellaris: Galaxy Command, a new MMO take on the game Stellaris, designed for mobile devices. Just hours after the game was announced and beta testing went live in a handful of countries however, the game has been pulled. Players noticed an extreme similarity to art from another science-fiction game: Halo 4.

You can see the offending copycat work below on the left, compared to the original artwork from Halo 4 on the right. You can click to enlarge the images.

This goes well beyond being inspired by a piece of art or even using it as an outline, as aside from the Pelican being removed, it's the exact same piece. Stellaris: Galaxy Command is being published by Paradox Interactive however, that team is not the developer. Instead, Gamebear, a studio located in Hong Kong, have been contracted to develop the game, with Paradox overseeing. After the stolen artwork became apparent, Paradox issued a statement on Twitter through the game's official account, explaining that the title was being pulled offline while a "full content sweep" is performed. You can read the full statement below:

We'll provide an update when the game goes back online or if Paradox Interactive makes any further comment. There's also the question of whether this was the only stolen artwork or if other pieces not yet seen had also been copied from existing sources.