Soccer icon Maradona threatens to sue Konami for using his face (update)
PES 2017 allegedly uses his likeness without permission.
You may have been excited to see sports legend Diego Maradona in Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2017, but the superstar himself is... less than thrilled. Maradona has threatened to sue Konami for allegedly using his likeness in the game without permission. We've reached out to Konami for its side of the conversation, but it's reasonable to presume that this could get messy if a lawsuit goes ahead. That seems likely when Maradona's lawyer, Matias Morla, has vowed to "crack down" on the PES2017 developer.
Video game licenses for athletes have been a thorny subject for years, and it's seldom just a matter of signing an agreement and calling it a day. You frequently have to worry about faces, names and jersey numbers as separate concerns, and a misstep can cost you dearly. Even using tattoos without permission can get you into trouble. It's possible that Konami thought it was abiding by the rules and still didn't get Maradona's full permission, assuming this is anything more than a simple misunderstanding.
Update: Konami has issued a statement to Kotaku, saying that "our company is using [this player] appropriately, with the basis of the license within the contract." We've reached out in the hope of turning that statement into something with more clarity.
