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Terms and conditions

As of: October 2026 · Version 2026-10-11

Convenience translation. The German version is authoritative.

Agreement on our terms of use

The provider of Zephnex is Felix Schattenberg, Striesener Straße 4, 01307 Dresden, Germany (hereinafter "Provider", "we", "us").

We operate the online game Zephnex (ZEPHNEX) with its associated websites, the web app and the apps for desktop and mobile devices (the "App") and all other related products and services that refer to these terms (together the "Services").

You can reach us by phone at +49 351 41717958, by email at support@zephnex.com or by post at Striesener Straße 4, 01307 Dresden, Germany.

These General Terms and Conditions (the "Terms") govern the contractual relationship between you ("User", "you") and us concerning access to and use of the Services. By registering or starting to use the Services you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use the Services.

The Services are intended for persons who are at least 18 years old. Persons under 18 must not register or use the Services.

We recommend that you print or save these Terms for your records.

Contents

1. Our Services

Zephnex is a multiplayer online game. It can be used free of charge; optionally we offer the paid purchase of a premium currency (sections 8 and 9). The Services are not intended for use in countries or jurisdictions in which such use would violate applicable law. Anyone who uses the Services from there does so on their own initiative and is responsible for compliance with the law that applies there.

To use the Services you need an internet-enabled device and an internet connection. You bear the costs incurred for this yourself (e.g. mobile data).

2. Alpha status

Zephnex is under development (alpha phase). This means in particular:

Mandatory statutory rights, in particular for paid contracts (sections 15 to 17), remain unaffected.

3. Registration, game account and invitation codes

A game account is required to use the Services. Registration is currently only possible with an invitation code. An invitation code is issued by us or by persons authorised by us; it can be used either only once or – for multi-use codes, for example for promotions – several times, may be time-limited and must not be sold or passed on for payment.

By registering you warrant that (1) your information is truthful, accurate, current and complete; (2) you will update it without delay if it changes; (3) you are of full age and legally capable and will comply with these Terms; (4) you will not use the Services through automated or non-human means (bots, scripts, etc.); (5) you will not use the Services for unlawful or unauthorised purposes.

If you provide untrue, inaccurate, outdated or incomplete information, we may suspend or terminate your account (section 14).

You keep your password secret and are responsible for all actions taken through your account for which you are accountable. An account is intended for one person only; you must not pass on, sell or swap it. Inform us immediately if you suspect that third parties have access to your account. We may change, withdraw or reclaim usernames and display names that are inappropriate, offensive, misleading or infringe the rights of third parties.

Demo access: With a demo link you can try Zephnex without registering for a limited time. A demo account is a throw-away account: it is deleted, including its game state, after at most 60 minutes, after sign-out or if the connection has been absent for some time. If you start the demo with a demo code, the duration agreed with the code applies instead, but at most 4 hours. Some features (e.g. chat, clans, trading, purchases) are not available in demo access.

4. Rights in the Services

We are the owner or licensee of all rights in the Services, including source code, databases, functionality, software, design, audio, video, text, photographs and graphics ("Content") as well as the trademarks, service marks and logos ("Marks"). The Content and Marks are protected by copyright and trademark law and other intellectual property rights.

Subject to your compliance with these Terms, we grant you a simple, non-transferable, revocable right to use the Services for private, non-commercial purposes and to install and use the App on your devices. Beyond this, the Services, Content and Marks must not be copied, reproduced, aggregated, published, uploaded, publicly displayed, translated, transmitted, distributed, sold, licensed or otherwise commercially exploited without our prior written consent. Send requests to contact@zephnex.com. Statutory copyright exceptions remain unaffected.

We reserve all rights not expressly granted to you. A breach of these provisions entitles us to end your right of use.

Feedback: If you send us questions, comments, suggestions, ideas or feedback about the Services ("Feedback"), you grant us a simple, unlimited-in-time-and-territory, royalty-free right to use it to improve and develop the Services. No claims to remuneration arise from this. Your moral rights remain unaffected.

5. Rules of conduct and prohibited activities

You may use the Services only for the purposes for which we make them available. As a user you undertake in particular to refrain from the following:

6. User contributions and chat

The Services make it possible to create content and share it with others, such as chat messages (sector, faction, clan and direct messages), display names, clan names, crests, clan messages, map markers and feedback ("Contributions"). Other users can see your Contributions; to that extent they are considered non-confidential.

With each Contribution you warrant that:

You remain the owner of your Contributions. You grant us the simple, royalty-free right, unlimited in territory, to store and technically reproduce your Contributions and to display them to other users within the Services, insofar as this is necessary to operate the Services (e.g. display in chat, in leaderboards and on nameplates). The right ends when the Contribution is deleted or your account ceases to exist, except for Contributions that must be kept to comply with legal obligations or to enforce claims. You do not grant us any right to exploit your Contributions or your name, image or voice commercially outside the operation of the Services.

We are not obliged to review or monitor Contributions in advance. You are responsible for your Contributions. We may remove, change or reject Contributions that violate these Terms or the law or of which we become aware; in serious or repeated cases we may also suspend the account (section 14) and report violations to the authorities. Chat messages are deleted after 14 days (see the privacy policy).

7. App licence

If you use the Services through the App, we grant you a revocable, simple, non-transferable, limited right to install the App on your own devices or devices you control and to use it under these Terms. In particular you must not: (1) except as permitted by law, decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble or derive the source code of the App; (2) modify or adapt the App or create derivative works from it; (3) violate applicable law in connection with use; (4) remove or alter copyright or trademark notices; (5) use the App commercially or for purposes for which it is not intended; (6) make the App available over a network for simultaneous use by multiple devices or users; (7) use the App to create a competing product or substitute service.

Apple and Android devices. If you obtain the App through the Apple App Store or Google Play (each an "App Distributor"), the following also applies: (1) your right of use is limited to devices with the respective operating system (iOS or Android) and to the usage rules of the App Distributor; (2) we, not the App Distributor, are responsible for maintenance and support of the App; (3) if a warranty is not met you may notify the App Distributor, which may refund any purchase price paid under its terms; otherwise the App Distributor has no warranty obligation for the App; (4) you confirm that you are not located in a country subject to a United States embargo or designated by the United States as a supporter of terrorism and are not on any US list of prohibited or restricted parties; (5) you comply with third-party terms that apply to your mobile and data contract when using the App; (6) the App Distributors are third-party beneficiaries of this section and may enforce it against you.

8. Virtual currency and virtual items

There are two kinds of virtual currency in the game: game money, which is earned in the game, and premium currency, which can be obtained in the game or purchased for a fee. Together with ships, modules, items, structures and similar game elements these are "virtual content". The following applies to them:

9. Prices and purchases

Premium currency is offered in packages. We show prices and contents of the packages before purchase; the prices displayed at the time of ordering apply. On the web, in the desktop app and in apps distributed directly by us these are final prices in euro: as a small business within the meaning of § 19 of the German VAT Act (UStG) we do not charge VAT and therefore do not show it. For purchases through the stores, the prices displayed there apply. Purchases are possible with a confirmed email address. Premium currency is usually credited immediately after the payment confirmation is received.

Depending on the platform, third parties process the payment; their terms apply in addition:

Voluntary support. On the web, in the desktop app, in apps distributed directly by us and on our website you can voluntarily support the development of Zephnex with an amount of your choice (currently €1 to €500). This is a voluntary payment without consideration: nothing is credited in the game and you receive no gameplay advantages. It is not a donation in the tax sense; we do not issue donation receipts. The payment is processed via Stripe as described above; you receive the receipt or invoice with the § 19 UStG notice from Stripe. No account is needed. We do not offer this option in apps obtained from the App Store or Google Play. Statutory rights remain unaffected.

You may only use payment methods you are entitled to use. In the event of chargebacks or abusive purchases we may withdraw the premium currency credited and suspend the account until the matter is clarified.

We may correct errors in descriptions, prices or availability (for example typing errors); a contract already concluded is affected only within the limits of the statutory provisions (e.g. rescission).

10. Right of withdrawal

Consumers have a statutory right of withdrawal for paid contracts with us in accordance with our withdrawal policy. For digital content it can expire early if you have expressly agreed that we start performance before the withdrawal period ends and have confirmed your awareness of this (§ 356(5) of the German Civil Code, BGB). For purchases on the web or in the desktop app we obtain the consent and the confirmation of awareness before payment by a mandatory checkbox in the payment process and additionally confirm it to you by email. If the purchase is processed through Apple or Google and that provider is your contracting party, its terms also apply to withdrawal and refunds.

11. Moderation

We are entitled, but not obliged, to (1) review the Services for violations of these Terms; (2) take appropriate action in the event of violations, including reporting to law enforcement authorities; (3) reject, restrict the availability of or remove Contributions or parts of them; (4) remove files and content that are excessively large or place an undue burden on our systems; (5) otherwise manage the Services in a way that protects our rights and ensures they function properly. We will inform you of measures taken against your account insofar as this is possible and not precluded by the rights of third parties or security interests. You can send notices about unlawful content to abuse@zephnex.com at any time or report it in the game.

12. Privacy

Information on the processing of personal data can be found in our privacy policy. The Services are hosted in Germany.

We respect the rights of others. If you believe that content in the Services infringes a copyright you hold, please notify us immediately using the contact details below and identify the material concerned and your entitlement as precisely as possible. We will review the notice and remove infringing content. A copy of your notice may be forwarded to the person who posted the material. Anyone who knowingly makes false statements may be liable for damages.

14. Term, termination and suspension

The usage contract for the free game runs for an indefinite period. You can terminate it at any time without notice by deleting your account (in the App, via /account/delete or by email to privacy@zephnex.com). On deletion your right of use and your claim to your virtual content end (section 8).

We may terminate the contract for the free game with two weeks' notice. The right of both parties to terminate extraordinarily for good cause remains unaffected.

Good cause exists for us in particular if you violate these Terms or applicable law, in particular sections 3, 5 or 6, if you have provided false information or if there is suspicion of misuse of your account. Instead of termination we may choose milder measures, e.g. a warning, removal of Contributions, temporary restriction of individual features (such as chat) or temporary suspension of the account. We take into account the severity of the violation, your interests and any repetition, and will tell you the measure and the reason; you can object to our decision at support@zephnex.com. If an account was suspended or terminated because of a violation, you must not create a new account under your own, another's or an invented name. We reserve further claims, including legal action.

We may discontinue the operation of the Services or individual features altogether; section 15 applies to this.

15. Changes to and interruptions of the Services

We may further develop, change or extend the Services or discontinue individual features insofar as this is reasonable taking your interests into account, for example because it serves game flow, balance, security or technical development. Section 2 applies to resetting and adjusting game states in the alpha phase. We announce material changes in good time where possible. For paid contracts the rights under §§ 327r, 327s BGB apply; significant impairments that are not merely short-term entitle you to the rights stated there.

We cannot guarantee that the Services are available without interruption at all times. Hardware, software or other problems and maintenance work may cause interruptions, delays or errors. We announce maintenance work in advance where possible. We provide the Services "as available"; there is no entitlement to a particular availability unless statute or section 16 provides otherwise.

If we discontinue the Services entirely and permanently, we will announce this with reasonable notice and, where legally required, refund consumers the proportionate value of purchased premium currency not yet used.

16. Defects and warranty

The statutory rights in case of defects under §§ 327 et seq. BGB apply to digital products purchased for a fee (premium currency). If a defect appears, for example because purchased premium currency was not credited, please contact billing@zephnex.com. For purchases through the App Store or Google Play, the respective store can also be a point of contact. The fact that game content is changed within the alpha phase and the game design (sections 2, 8 and 15) is not in itself a defect. For the free provision of the Services, liability otherwise follows section 17.

17. Liability

We are liable without limitation for damages from injury to life, body or health, for damages caused intentionally or by gross negligence, for fraudulently concealed defects, when assuming a guarantee and under the Product Liability Act.

In the case of slightly negligent breach of an essential contractual obligation (an obligation whose fulfilment is a precondition for the proper performance of the contract and on whose observance you may regularly rely), our liability is limited to the foreseeable damage typical for the contract. Otherwise liability for damage caused by slight negligence is excluded. This also applies to our vicarious agents.

For loss of data, in cases of slight negligence we are liable only for the effort that would have been needed to restore it had the data been backed up regularly and in line with the risk. Please note that we may reset game states in the alpha phase (section 2); such a permitted reset is not a loss of data.

We assume no responsibility for users' content, for external sites referred to, or for goods and services offered by third parties (e.g. Stripe, Apple, Google). The statutory liability of those providers applies. You are liable to us under the statutory provisions for damage you cause by a culpable breach of these Terms.

18. Changes to these Terms

We may change these Terms with effect for the future if there is a valid reason, such as a change in the legal situation, the introduction of new features or closing a gap in the rules, and the change is reasonable for you. We inform you of changes in text form (e.g. by email, if an address is on file) or in the Services at least four weeks before they take effect.

Changes that significantly shift the balance between performance and consideration to your disadvantage or that concern the main contractual obligations take effect only with your express consent. For all other changes the new Terms are deemed accepted if you do not object in text form within the period; we will point this out separately in the notice. If you object, either side may terminate the contract when the change takes effect; until then the previous Terms apply.

19. Governing law and jurisdiction

The law of the Federal Republic of Germany applies, excluding the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). If you are a consumer with habitual residence in another country, you keep the protection of the mandatory provisions of the law of that country.

The place of jurisdiction for merchants, legal entities under public law and special funds under public law is Dresden. For consumers the statutory places of jurisdiction apply; you can bring claims under this contract in Germany or in the EU country in which you live. No arbitration agreement is made with consumers.

20. Miscellaneous

These Terms and the game rules published by us in the Services constitute the entire agreement between you and us. There are no side agreements. If we waive enforcement of a right, this is not a waiver of that right for the future. We may transfer our rights and obligations under this contract to a third party if this causes you no disadvantage; in that case you are entitled to terminate the contract. Notices from us to you may be given electronically, by email and in the Services; text form is sufficient unless the law requires otherwise. These Terms do not create a partnership, employment or agency relationship between you and us. We are not responsible for delays or failures caused by events beyond our control (force majeure). If a provision of these Terms is or becomes invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions remains unaffected; the statutory provision takes the place of the invalid one.

21. Contact

For complaints, questions about these Terms or the use of the Services, please contact:

Felix Schattenberg
Striesener Straße 4
01307 Dresden
Germany
Phone: +49 351 41717958
Email: contact@zephnex.com