Anyone who's played Red Dead Redemption 2 since it launched back in October knows the size and scope of the world is unlike anything ever seen before in games. Throughout the game's massive world and drawn out storyline, players will encounter a myriad of locations, people, and enemy factions. The identity of one of those factions, however, has caught the eye of a real-world company and has led them to pursue legal action against Take-Two Interactive.

In an early section of Red Dead Redemption 2, main protagonist Arthur Morgan crosses paths with agents Andrew Milton and Edgar Ross, who appear on behalf of the Pinkerton Detective Agency. The name of the agency tracking Arthur's crew resembles that of a real-world security company of the same name, who is now demanding royalties from Take-Two Interactive due to the name's in-game use.

The company, which goes by the name Pinkerton Consulting & Investigations, delivered a cease-and-desist order back in December to Take-Two. In return, Take-Two has fired back with a lawsuit of their own, stating that the in-game detective agency is a part of Red Dead Redemption 2's historical setting, and should be considered fair use. To defend their argument, Take-Two made note of numerous references to the Pinkerton organization during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in American history - the same time period in which Red Dead Redemption 2 takes place.

This isn't the first instance of Rockstar and Take-Two being brought into controversy in regards to Red Dead Redemption 2 and their older titles. The developer faced criticism for the apparent long-term crunch the company's studios endured leading up to the game's launch, with comments from Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser stating the team was working "100-hour work weeks" as development was wrapping up. Going back even further, 2013's Grand Theft Auto V also had multiple back-and-forth lawsuits when actress Lindsay Lohan, as well as other high-profile celebrities, accused Rockstar of using their respective likenesses in the game without approval.

Either way, it isn't as if the controversy has slowed sales for Rockstar's latest Wild West adventure. In just a matter of weeks, Red Dead Redemption 2 surpassed the total sales of the series' 2010 release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Source: The Verge