Ludwig threatens legal action against NFT creator MetaDeckz

On 17th February, YouTube Gaming streamer Ludwig Ahgren slammed NFT creator MetaDeckz, otherwise known as Derrick Z, for creating NFT trading cards in his and several other streamers' likeness, without their explicit consent.

Among the slew of streamers featured as trading cards on MetaDeckz' Twitter page were Dr Disrespect, Amouranth, Valkryae, Hasan Piker, Pokimane, and Asmongold.

Ludwig later caught wind of the NFT project after a "Legendary" NFT trading card made in his likeness was quote retweeted by the Twitter account Slime Machine. The NFT creator subsequently responded with a video, which prompted an unwelcomed reply from the YouTube Gaming star.

Ludwig hits back at Twitter NFT creator with legal action

In a lengthy response on Twitter, Ludwig slammed the NFT creator's video as a "dishonest twist" of the reality of his actions. "You say you just want to share [the] art, but you laid out a roadmap for a 2nd drop and an app on your website. You have 5 levels of rarity and a $200+ floor," Ludwig said.

TLDR: I am not making a fucking NFT and I’ll let my lawyers take it from here pic.twitter.com/helUAcsjJW

— ludwig (@LudwigAhgren) February 17, 2022

The YouTube streamer further noted that Derrick Z only reached out to him "less than 24 hours ago" and had "already completed the art," adding, "it feels like you just reached out to cover your ass rather than get permission."

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"Claiming this is for my community is insane because my community roasts NFT projects for their shady practices - your project being a prime example," Ludwig said.

The YouTube megastar then continued to slam the project as "nothing more than a low effort scam" and criticised the creator for their lack of accountability. "The worst part is you're a talented artist. But it's all going to waste," Ludwig concluded.

MetaDeckz shuts down NFT project amid Ludwig's legal threats

Less than an hour later, Derrick Z responded, claiming to have been following Ludwig's stream for years and that he was ready to "give the cards away for free," noting he was "not in it for the money."

Instead, the NFT creator said the project "was inspired by Marvel and Trading cards to create characters with lore and backstory," adding, "this is far from a rug pull project."

"I could have done this without using any person's likeness, but I honestly thought you and the other streamers might like them. I'm not an NFT enthusiast [and] I don't like 99% of them. I'm an artist who saw an oppertunity (sic), and I tried to do something cool with the space," Derrick noted before concluding that he would "disband the entire project."

In a separate video post on Twitter, the NFT creator said he understood Ludwig's perspective and would not sell the trading cards as NFTs, despite having poured "thousands of hours" into the project.

@LudwigAhgrenpic.twitter.com/I3BqusYyyI

— MetaDeckz (@MetaDeckz) February 17, 2022

Derrick further noted that he was aware that the streamers and broader community did not like NFTs but insisted on continuing the project as an attempt to "change their minds" by doing something "relatable to Twitch and gaming."

"But in hindsight, that wasn't the right thing to do. But that's okay. You learn from your mistakes, and I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing, creating content creators with trading cards; we just won't sell them," the creator added.

Toward the end of the video, Derrick Z said he doesn't want people to think he's a scam artist, adding that he disrespected the streamers and feels awful about it.

At this time, Ludwig has not indicated if he would still pursue legal action; however, it seems his earlier threat was heard loud and clear. We will endeavour to update your regarding any further developments, but it seems the matter is resolved.

If you're looking for more news, updates, and drama about your favourite streamers, then be sure to check out our dedicated Twitch and YouTube sections!

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Featured image courtesy of Twitter / MetaDeckz and YouTube / Ludwig.