Palworld, often referred to by fans as “Pokémon with guns,” is facing legal challenges as Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Pocketpair, the game’s developer, in a Tokyo court. The lawsuit, announced on Thursday, alleges that Palworld “infringes multiple patent rights.”
This legal action comes as no major surprise to many. In the game, players catch creatures by weakening them and subsequently trapping them in Pal Spheres, which bear resemblance to Poké Balls. Fans have also noted several design similarities between the creatures, known as Pals, and Pokémon. This issue was further compounded by mods created by players that explicitly include actual Pokémon, drawing additional scrutiny from Nintendo.
Interestingly, the lawsuit claims patent violations rather than copyright infringements, suggesting that the core of the issue may relate more to game mechanics than to the design of the creatures themselves.
Palworld debuted in January and quickly became a hit, selling over 12 million copies within its first month, making it Microsoft’s most successful third-party launch on Game Pass to date.
In response to the lawsuit, Pocketpair expressed that it was “unaware of the specific patents [it is] accused of infringing upon,” and pledged to investigate the allegations. The company also reaffirmed its commitment to improving the game, having released a patch for bug fixes earlier that week. “It is truly unfortunate that we will be forced to allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit,” their statement emphasized. “However, we will do our utmost for our fans and to ensure that indie game developers are not hindered or discouraged from pursuing their creative ideas.”
Fans of the game have taken to social media to express their support. One user criticized Nintendo, stating, “Instead of bullying smaller companies, the ones going after you guys should make better products.” Another supporter added that “Nintendo really needs to be humbled, and competition is healthy for everyone involved.” On the other hand, some have backed Nintendo, acknowledging its historically aggressive stance towards protecting its intellectual property, particularly evident in Japan, as noted by Serkan Toto, CEO of game industry consultancy Kantan Games.
Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe has previously denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the company has “absolutely no intention of infringing upon the intellectual property of other companies.”
Nintendo, however, remains firm in its position, declaring that it “will continue to take necessary actions against any infringement of its intellectual property rights, including the Nintendo brand itself, to protect the intellectual properties it has worked hard to establish over the years.” The company has a longstanding reputation for such legal actions, and many observers are noting that this lawsuit may have been expected for some time.