EA explains Command & Conquer's Warhammer 40K tanks

Electronic Arts' free-to-play Command & Conquer game Tiberium Alliances made headlines this week for apparently appropriating tank designs from Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000, but the publisher today told GameSpot that the flap was the result of an accidental exposure of concept art rather than an act of intellectual property theft.

"Games Workshop and EA are aware of the IP issues around the artwork in question, which have now been resolved," an EA representative said. "The artwork was internal EA concept art that was unintentionally released publicly. No Warhammer 40,000 tanks have ever made an appearance in Command and Conquer: Tiberium Alliances, and never will. Games Workshop and EA continue to have a strong relationship working together on Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and the new free to play game Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes which just entered open beta."

The issue first surfaced when Reddit users Bro-jangles and corevirus posted pictures underscoring the similarities between Grinder and Bombard tanks featured in Tiberium Alliances' promotional art and Warhammer 40,000's Ork Bonecruncha and Imperial Guard Baneblade vehicles.