In December 2024, we reported about a Gray Zone Copy-Cat that surfaced on the PlayStation Store. The game titled Gray Zone Attack was given a 2025 release window and the listing mentioned that Esail LTD was developing the game.
Chris Baldwin, CEO of Esail LTD
Over the years, we have seen similar knockoffs of popular games from imposters hoping to make quick bucks by publishing games that closely resemble popular franchises. Late in December 2024, we also published a post about a Black Myth knockoff on the Nintendo eShop called Wukong Sun: Black Legend.
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When such games emerge, gamers quickly criticize the alleged developer listed on the game’s description page. However, have you ever considered the possibility that the alleged developer may have nothing to do with the knockoff and are just a victim of the imposters as the game being imitated?
We never thought of this too until Chris Baldwin, the CEO of Esail LTD reached out to us to explain that they had no hand in Gray Zone Attack and have been trying to get Sony to take the game down from the PlayStation Store without success. We sat with Baldwin to have a chat and hear his side of the story.
Anthony Emecheta: Thank you for reaching out to us to share your own side of the story. We never thought of the possibility of the identity of game developers being stolen. Please tell us more about Esail LTD. When was the studio founded and what type of games do you develop?
Chris Baldwin: Esail was founded in 2014. Our only game is eSail Sailing Simulator. Sailing is a passion of mine and I wanted to develop something that would help me and other sailors, as well as being fun for gamers.
AE: What was your reaction when you first saw Gray Zone Attack linked to your company?
CB: First of all I thought maybe there was another company with the same name. But I did some searching and nothing came up. Then I found that there are many games that have been put up on PlayStation as concepts, all under the name of Esail Ltd. I couldn’t understand what motivation someone would have to do this.
AE: Have you reported the game on the PlayStation Store? What other steps have you taken to remove the game or at least remove any association of the game with your company?
CB: I found it very difficult to find any way of contacting PlayStation. (NOTE: I am using ‘PlayStation’ to mean Sony Interactive Entertainment – SIE). Eventually, I decided to set up a PlayStation Partner account to see what would happen. I received a support ticket to say I already had an account. Within one minute I received another email to say the ticket had been closed!
So I tried again to set up an account. This time I attached this as my game pitch:
I had received a legal threat from a lawyer in the Netherlands, threatening to sue Esail Ltd, because there is material on PlayStation that infringes their client’s copyright. Their client is Square Glade Games.
PlayStation has now removed the bogus content for this particular game. However, they have told Deviant that they will put the content up again unless Deviant sues Esail (me) to get a court order. Deviant has given me 10 days (to remove the content which of course I cannot do). Deviant has also accepted that I am not responsible for this pirated content. However, they say they have no option to proceed because PlayStation is telling them to.
I have now managed to find the copyright section of PlayStation. I have offered to provide all my identity documentation to prove that I am the owner of Esail Ltd. I have also demanded that they take down all this content and remove the account. I gave them 7 days to comply.
AE: Have you seen any other developer that has had a similar problem?
CB: No I have never seen this before.
AE: Is this the first time your company has been impersonated or have there been other attempts?
CB: First time
AE: Are there any other actions left for you to take down Gray Zone Attack or at least distance it from your company?
CB: We also found out that the same people had copied our website. They copied the whole thing to a new domain esail.tech. Apparently, that is the domain these people have used to communicate with PlayStation. I have now contacted the registrar of eSail.tech and have managed to get the spoof website taken down. I hope this provides further evidence to PlayStation that these people are conducting identity theft.
AE: Poppy Playtime studio sued Google for not removing imitator apps from PlayStore. Do you see your company going the same route?
CB: Yes, If we get sued by Deviant I have told Playstation that we will take legal action against them to recover our costs.
AE: Tell us more about your game eSail Sailing Simulator. Where can our readers get it?
CB: eSail is on Steam or can be purchased from our website (as a Steam key).
AE: Are you working on any other project?
CB: I am currently working on eSail V3, which will have loads of new features such as new islands, more variable wind, and better-looking graphics,
AE: What has been your biggest challenge in the video game industry so far?
CB: I use Unity, and that engine has a nasty habit of breaking existing games when it gets updated. I hope that this will improve under the new management!
AE: Do you think the worst of the layoffs in the industry is behind us now?
CB: I don’t employ anyone so I am not qualified to answer this one!
AE: Thank you for taking the time to share your side of the story. We hope Sony gets to do something about it. We wish you the best in your future projects.
CB: Regards
Baldwin’s testimony opens a new chapter that highlights how easy it is to perpetrate identity theft on video game marketplaces. Next time you see a knockoff title on a marketplace, pause and ask if it is really from the developer it was accredited to.
