•Call of Duty players are divided over NetEase Ігри’ new FPS, ECC: Redline, which has drawn accusations of being a “rip-off” of Activision’s Warzone while some suggest it could satisfy frustrated fans of the battle royale.
NetEase described its shooter as a “self-developed extreme-sports tactical shooter” when unveiling it days ago. The China-based company offers fast-paced gameplay on PC via Steam and mobile devices, but in the hours following its debut, players began calling it a near-identical copy of Warzone.
Viewers say weapons look, kick and move in familiar ways, with similarities extending to the game’s UI. Sound effects have been noted as evoking the gritty action associated with Call of Duty, while the first-person camera blur when dropping from heights has felt recognizable to Warzone players. Despite characters featuring unique abilities and gadgets, comparisons persist online.
“Warzone + Delta Force + Blood Strike = ECC: Redline,” one YouTube commenter wrote on NetEase’s official upload said.
“It’s 1-to-1 Warzone, hilarious st,” another Reddit user said, while a third replied: “Literally the first thing that popped into my head was wow they have no shame… straight copied COD even down to the UI and emblems etc.”
Call of Duty has faced struggles in the six years since the Modern Warfare reboot introduced Warzone in 2019. Like many ongoing FPS titles, the battle royale’s popularity has fluctuated, with many of its millions of fans still harking back to its launch build and first map, Verdansk.
Activision has returned to Verdansk in an attempt to recapture that magic, though this has done little to appease those nostalgic for the past. As the broader Call of Duty brand goes through its own struggles, some players—those willing to admit NetEase may have gone too far in places—say a polished shooter like ECC: Redline could address a specific need, with some believing it could compete with Call of Duty.
“If ECC: Redline actually has good servers, movement, AND listens to its community… COD might finally have to start trying again,” one X/Twitter post said.
“Закрити enough, welcome back OG Warzone,” another player said, acknowledging the similarities before saying the NetEase game “looks better tbh.”
“I LEGIT thought it was WZ at first because i didn’t check the title,” one social media user said, adding a crying emoji.
NetEase has faced criticism over its approach to previous games. Marvel Rivals, a comic book hero shooter that gained popularity in 2024, also drew comparisons to Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch when it launched. Hyper Front, a 5v5 tactical shooter, prompted Riot Ігри to launch a lawsuit against NetEase after comparisons to Valorant.
ECC: Redline currently has no release date but is billed as free-to-play. Warzone, meanwhile, is slated to receive new updates when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches later this month.
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