A firestorm erupted in the Arknights community after fans noticed the new costume for character Ascalon mirrored the iconic wing pattern from Monster Hunter’s Shagaru Magala. The resemblance was glaring—claws, textures, even colour tones were nearly identical. Hypergryph acted swiftly, confirming the costume design had indeed copied Monster Hunter art, with minimal modifications and no colour changes.
Hypergryph Responds with Change and Accountability
Hypergryph quickly replaced the infringing costume with an original design, aiming to mend relations with Capcom and their community. The move came after widespread criticism, especially from Chinese players. Recognizing the damage, Hypergryph wanted to reaffirm its artistic integrity and reputation . They emphasized that maintaining trust with both IP holders and their fandom remains a top priority.
Cenm0 Terminated Over “Fatal Mistake”
The artist behind Ascalon, known as Cenm0, issued a heartfelt apology via Weibo, calling the incident a “fatal mistake” and acknowledging the harm done to both the game and the communities. Shortly after, Hypergryph terminated Cenm0’s employment, stating the action was necessary given the severity of the plagiarism. Fans have mixed reactions—some appreciate the transparency, while others worry about the broader creative impact on Hypergryph’s future work. You can read Cenm0’s apology down below:
“After clearing out my personal items from the workstation and backing up my digital files, I want to formally apologize and say goodbye to everyone. I fully accept all the disciplinary actions imposed by the project team -when one does something foolish, one must accept the consequences. I deeply regret that this remorse cannot reach the irresponsible person I was creating this design.
Ascalon is a character full of charm. Her beauty has captured countless hearts and deserves widespread admiration. As a co-creator of this wonderful character, I should have done everything in my power to maintain her image. Yet in the end, I was the one who tarnished her.
As a dual fan of Arknights and Monster Hunter, to be honest, I still feel numb and can’t fully understand why I made such a careless mistake-bringing harm to two beloved properties and their communities.
I’m deeply sorry for making this apology so late. I have constantly revised and struggled to convey my sincere remorse, and I still don’t know how to properly face the two things I love so much. I can only thank all the voices of criticism-they have helped me wake up and truly regret my actions. I have decided to, along with accepting my punishment, publicly and sincerely apologize to everyone to give this apology more weight.
I hope I can still do something to make amends for the Arknights community and something for Ascalon as well.
I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”
-Cenm0
