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What Warner Bros.’ Nemesis patent covers
The original U.S. grant, US 10,926,179 B2, is titled “Nemesis characters, nemesis forts, social vendettas and followers in computer games.” Its abstract describes methods for managing non-player characters (NPCs) and power centers through character hierarchies and individualized links between character traits or rank and events involving other NPCs or objects. It also describes sharing power centers, hierarchies, NPCs and related quests between separate game instances over a network.
This is a patent for particular claimed methods, not a blanket claim to every game mechanic in which an NPC remembers a player, reacts to them or changes over time. Whether a particular game feature falls within a patent’s claims is a legal question that cannot be answered from its title or abstract alone.
What the public records say about ownership
The original patent issued on February 23, 2021. Its family record reports an August 7, 2024 maintenance-fee payment and lists the original grant as active. The family record also lists related active grants, including US 11,660,540 B2 and US 12,201,908 B2, as well as a further pending application. Patent-database status is a record report, not a legal opinion.
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A family-record entry dated October 1, 2025, with an effective date of September 29, 2025, records a security interest in favor of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as collateral agent. Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc., Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and related companies are named among the assignors. The entry describes collateral, not an outright sale; it does not alone establish that the patent left Warner Bros.’ ownership or control. The public record continues to identify Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. in the patent family.
How long could the U.S. patents remain in force?
The USPTO says utility patents generally expire 20 years from the application filing date, subject to maintenance fees. Fees are generally due 3½, 7½ and 11½ years after the original grant; a missed payment can result in expiration. Patent term can also be adjusted or extended in some circumstances. The USPTO says it does not calculate individual patent expiration dates, so a database date should not be treated as an official guarantee that a patent will remain in force until then. See the USPTO’s guidance on maintaining a patent and managing a patent.
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- Become the most feared force in Mordor in a new chronicle set before the events of the Lord of the Rings
- Exploit the individual fears, weakness and memories of your enemies as you dismantle Sauron's forces from within
- Harness the Spirit of vengeance to inflict brutal combos while mastering powerful new skills and weaponry
The family record displays August 11, 2036 as an adjusted expiration date for US 10,926,179 B2. That is a patent-database estimate, subject to maintenance, adjustments, disclaimers and the official record. Other grants in the family have their own listed dates.
What the records do—and do not—establish geographically
The family record’s country-status section lists U.S. cases. That supports describing these as U.S. patent records; it does not establish protection in every country or worldwide. The status of any rights in another jurisdiction would need to be checked in that jurisdiction’s records.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsRank #3
- Harness the Spirit of vengeance to inflict brutal combos while mastering powerful new skills and weaponry.
- Exploit the individual fears, weakness and memories of your enemies as you dismantle Sauron's forces from within.
- Become the most feared force in Mordor in a new chronicle set before the events of the Lord of the Rings.
Why this does not settle whether another Nemesis-style game will be made
The patent records establish patent grants and related filings, not Warner Bros.’ plans to develop, license or release a future game. They also do not show that the patent is the sole reason another game has not appeared. A patent’s existence may matter to development choices, but these records do not establish how it has affected any particular project.
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