Aion 2 Scandal: Celebrity Likeness & Deepfake Legal Risks in Style Shop

Aion 2 Faces Legal Backlash Over Unauthorized Celebrity Likenesses

The launch of Aion 2, the highly anticipated sequel from NCSoft, has been overshadowed by a serious controversy in South Korea and Taiwan. While the game was initially criticized for its “pay-to-win” mechanics, a darker issue has emerged involving the game’s “Style Shop” system. Players are reportedly using the hyper-realistic character customization tools to create and sell presets that mimic real-life celebrities, often in highly sexualized or inappropriate contexts.

The “Style Shop” as a Source of Concern

The Style Shop is a platform where players can upload character presets they have designed. Other users can then purchase these presets using in-game currency, with the revenue split between the creator and the developer.5

However, the precision of the character creator has allowed users to craft near-identical replicas of famous K-pop idols and actors. These presets are frequently listed under the celebrities’ actual names. The situation is particularly sensitive as some of the public figures being recreated are minors, and their digital doppelgangers are being dressed in revealing outfits provided by the game’s cash shop.

Legal Implications: A Digital Sex Crime?

South Korean legal experts, including attorney Jeong-Mok Kang, have warned that this behavior might cross the line from “in-game creativity” into criminal territory.

• Deepfake and Digital Sex Crimes: Under South Korean law, creating or distributing sexually explicit content using a person’s likeness without consent is a serious offense. Even though these are 3D models rather than photo-real video, if the likeness is recognizable, it can be treated as a digital sex crime.
• Publicity Rights: Unauthorized use of a person’s face for profit (such as gaining YouTube views or selling presets) violates personality and publicity rights.
• Developer Liability: As the host of the data and a beneficiary of the sales of revealing costumes, NCSoft could potentially be held jointly liable if they are found to have neglected their duty to moderate the marketplace.

NCSoft’s Rocky Launch

This scandal adds to a list of troubles for Aion 2’s debut. Just 15 hours after launch, developers had to hold an emergency livestream to apologize for server bugs and the inclusion of “power-up” items in the cash shop that contradicted earlier promises of a non-pay-to-win experience. NCSoft has since pulled several problematic packages from the store, but the “Style Shop” dilemma presents a much more complex ethical and legal challenge.

Aion 2 has unintentionally turned its character creator into a laboratory for digital identity theft. While deep customization is usually a selling point for MMORPGs, the ability to monetize the faces of real people—especially children—is a line that should never have been blurred. NCSoft is now in a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation; they either have to implement heavy-handed censorship that might anger the player base or risk becoming the face of a landmark digital sex crime lawsuit. In 2025, when deepfake concerns are at an all-time high, this serves as a massive warning to all developers: if you give players the power to play God, some will inevitably choose to be the villain.

 Origin: automaton