Palworld developer Pocketpair sued for copycat behavior

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the Tokyo District Court against Pocketpair, the developer of the open-world game Palworld.

“Nintendo 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 Japanese gaming company said in a press release on Thursday.

The plaintiffs seek an injunction against copyright infringement and compensation for damages on the grounds that Palworld resembles the Pokémon franchise.

Palworld is an action-adventure, survival, and monster-taming game developed by Pocketpair. The game is set in an open world where you come across animal-like creatures called ‘pals.’ You can battle and collect these ‘pals’ and equip them with firearms to take on other players.

Shortly after release, gamers pointed out the similarities between the designs of several Pokémon and ‘pals,’ hence earning Palworld the nickname ‘Pokémon with guns.’

Pocketpair however was well aware of the accusations of alleged copyright infringement and design plagiarism. Takuro Mizobe, CEO of Pocketpair, claimed that the character concepts were mostly designed by a single graduate student and his designs were cleared by legal reviews.

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company promised to always defend their intellectual property. That’s what the lawsuit is about.

“We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024. We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game. We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon. We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokémon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokémon in the future,” The Pokémon Company said in a statement when Palworld was released globally.

The recognizable designs may have been the underlying cause for Palworld’s popularity. Within the first 24 hours of early access release, Palworld sold over two million copies. According to the latest numbers, Palworld has sold over 25 million copies via Steam and Xbox.

The developer has great ambitions. Last Summer, Sony Music, and Pocketpair announced they agreed to establish a new joint venture to promote and expand Palworld's licensing business.