Call of Duty fans are torn about NetEase Games’ ECC: Redline, a new FPS that many have called a “rip-off” with the power to fill the void for frustrated Warzone players.
NetEase called its new shooter a “self-developed extreme-sports tactical shooter” when revealing it just days ago. It’s yet another big swing from the China-based tech company that boasts breakneck gameplay on PC via Steam and mobile devices, but in the hours since its big debut, it’s also been called a “1:1 rip” of Activision’s Call of Duty: Warzone, and it’s not too hard to see why.
Viewers say guns look, kick, and move in a way that seems familiar, but the similarities don’t stop there. Everything down the UI is being investigated by FPS enjoyers, too, with things like the sound effects also evoking the same kind of gritty action Call of Duty is known for. Even the way the first-person camera blurs when dropping from heights might feel familiar to fans of Warzone and other shooters. Even with characters that present their own unique abilities and gadgets, ECC: Redline has had a hard time escaping the comparisons online.
Introducing ECC: REDLINE, an extreme-sports tactical shooter.
Welcome to the Extreme Circuit Championship.
Enter the Circuit, Own the Edge.
Wishlist now on Steam:
https://t.co/zy0dnkBGQn
#ECCREDLINE #ECC https://t.co/TL7c3fAoAX
— ECC (@ECCREDLINE) October 9, 2026
“Warzone + Delta Force + Blood Strike = ECC: Redline,” one YouTube comment left on NetEase’s official upload said.
“It’s 1-to-1 Warzone, hilarious s**t,” another commenter on Reddit said.
“Literally the first thing that popped into my head was wow they have no shame,” another replied, “straight copied COD even down to the UI and emblems etc.”
Meanwhile, Call of Duty has faced its own struggles in the six years since the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot introduced Warzone in 2019. Like so many other popular ongoing FPS experiences, the battle royale offshoot’s popularity has ebbed and flowed, with many of its millions of fans often still calling back to its launch build and its first map, Verdansk, as the glory days.
This looks about as close of a 1:1 rip of Warzone as someone could legally get away with
— ModernWarzone (@ModernWarzone) October 9, 2026
This is Warzone with player abilities and some blatant CoD rips😂
— Jake Lucky (@JakeSucky) October 10, 2026
@iKaito_1 similar? its literally copy and paste
— 👾 (@Axie_Umami) October 9, 2026
Activision has returned to Verdansk in an attempt to recapture that magic, but it’s done little to calm those nostalgic for the past. As the broader Call of Duty brand goes through its own struggles, some players – even those willing to admit NetEase may have gone too far in a few places – say a polished-looking shooter like ECC: Redline could scratch a pretty specific itch. Some even believe the NetEase shooter could give Call of Duty a run for its money.
“If ECC: Redline actually has good servers, movement, AND listens to its community… COD might finally have to start trying again,” one post on X/Twitter said.
“Close enough, welcome back OG Warzone,” another player said, acknowledging the similarities before saying the NetEase game “looks better tbh.”
Looks like someone reverse-engineered OG Warzone and added character abilities.
I’m actually kinda interested in trying this 😅
— Westie (@MrProWestie) October 10, 2026
Warzone don’t have ability 🥳! Netease definitely might pull this one off lol https://t.co/oHFmquZoTK
— Ju banks (@banks_ju) October 9, 2026
@ModernWarzone So what? I’d rather spend it on a ripoff game who listens to their customers then a conglomerate who 💩 on them.
— 𝗥𝗶𝗴 𝕏 (@RigTate) October 10, 2026
“I LEGIT thought it was WZ at first because i didn’t check the title,” one social media user said, adding a crying emoji.
NetEase has faced criticism regarding its approach to previous games in the past. A less extreme example is Marvel Rivals, a comic book hero shooter that exploded with popularity – and also managed to pick up some comparisons to Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch – when it launched in 2024. On the other hand is Hyper Front, a 5v5 tactical shooter that Riot Games launched a lawsuit against after it drew comparisons to Valorant.
ECC: Redline currently has no release date but is being billed as a free-to-play game. Warzone, meanwhile, is slated to receive a slew of new updates when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches later this month.
