Gears of War studio Epic Games being sued by former football player who claims to be the real Cole Train

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You could say that Gears of War (opens in new tab)’s Augustus Cole (aka THE COLE TRAIN, BABY, WOO) is currently experiencing a bit of an identity crisis. Former NFL player and wrestler Lenwood Hamilton launched a lawsuit against developer Epic Games, as well as publisher Microsoft, saying that Cole is a carbon copy of himself, right down to their shared fashion sense.

The report of the lawsuit originates from TMZ (opens in new tab), but has been verified by GamesIndustry.biz (opens in new tab). In it, Hamilton claims that Lester Speight (the voice of Cole, and whom is also being sued) spoke with Hamilton about creating a video game character while they performed together as professional wrestlers. You can see where this is going.

The suit focuses on the likeness between the two men: “The similarities of the avatar ‘Cole Train’ and Hard Rock Hamilton include that both are black (and ‘Cole Train’ is the only black avatar in the Gears of War series), they both played professional football (although in Gears of War the game is called ‘thrashball’), Cole Train’s number is 83 (same year that Hamilton played for the Philadelphia Eagles – 1983), the derby hat, wristbands, a front gold tooth, and a striking resemblance of both physiognomy and body build.”

Can’t say I ever imagined the day someone would accuse a Gears of War character looking too much like a specific human being. Or … any real-life human being for that matter. Hamilton is suing for an unspecific share of sales and profits made by the Gears of War series – it’ll be up to a judge to determine whether the case proceeds.

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