On March 26, Ziggurat Interactive and Strictly Limited Games announced BloodRayne: Definitive Collection for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, which includes BloodRayne: Terminal Cut, BloodRayne 2: Terminal Cut, and BloodRayne: Betrayal – Fresh Bites. In addition to the Limited Edition (the standard version), which includes all three remastered and expanded games, the Deluxe Edition comes with an artbook containing character and environment concept, among other merch. Many were quick to point out that the illustration of Rayne featured on the artbook’s cover mockup looked eerily familiar to an official image of Irene Lew/Sonia from Team Ninja’s Ninja Gaiden II.
Given the number of fan reports to Koei Tecmo, it didn’t take long for the official Team Ninja X account to chime in with a simple “Wayment…” (wait a minute). Indeed, when placed side by side, the BloodRayne artbook image looks almost exactly like Irene Lew’s concept art, except for the recolored hair and the swapping of Irene’s rocket launcher and machine gun for dual blades.
In response, Ziggurat Interactive stated that the mockup cover of the artbook shown in the promotional image was an image taken from a BloodRayne: Betrayal design document, meant for internal use. They acknowledge that the artwork was “heavily derivative of another artist’s work,” which they had not been aware of until now.
Given that the original Betrayal was released in 2011, three years after Ninja Gaiden II, it seems highly possible that an artist at WayForward (Betrayal’s original development studio) used Irene’s concept art as a basis for creating Rayne’s design in their game.
Nevertheless, Ziggurat Interactive announced that they will be replacing the artbook’s mockup cover image and will be checking the artbook for any other potentially problematic images before finalizing production.
BloodRayne: Definitive Collection is set to release on July 29 for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.
