The Nemesis System patent is one of the biggest travesties in modern gaming. Created, implemented, and patented by the now-defunct Monolith Productions (which was owned by Warner Bros), the system saw Shadow of War and Shadow of Mordor's Orcs rise through the ranks every time they prevailed over your character.
With each promotion, these Orcs became more powerful, more twisted, and more hell-bent on taking you down. It added a layer of depth and complexity to what would have otherwise been a pair of totally serviceable Lord of the Rings-focused Action-RPGs.
Unfortunately, however, the system was last seen in 2017's Middle-earth: Shadow of War, with Warner Bros. showing clear disregard for the patent and its potential impact on future video games. It seemed to have died alongside Monolith, but there is now a glimmer of hope.
With Warner Bros' sale to Netflix (or now potentially Paramount Skydance) on the horizon, players and developers are hoping the patent will be removed, so much so that a new petition has been created asking the prospective buyer to release the Nemesis System for all.
Over the last few days, news broke that Netflix is in talks to...
