Palworld developer Pocketpair sued by Pokémon and Nintendo

Palworld, an indie game developed by Pocketpair, is getting sued by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. This legal action follows a similar case where The Pokémon Company won a lawsuit against a Chinese developer for copying character designs in their game Monster Reissue. Now, Pocketpair finds itself in a legal battle over Palworld, a game that some say resembles Pokémon in certain aspects.

The lawsuit, filed on September 18, 2024, accuses Pocketpair of patent infringement. Nintendo suddenly suing Palworld after 8 months of silence is surprising. Fortunately for the fans, the Palworld developer has responded publicly through X, stating that it will begin the legal process to defend itself.

…We have received notice of this lawsuit and will begin the appropriate legal proceedings and investigations into the claims of patent infringement… At this moment, we are unaware of the specific patents we are accused of infringing upon… we have not been notified of such details… It is truly unfortunate that we will be forced to allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit. 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...

The developer voiced concerns that larger companies, like Nintendo, are using their influence to stifle smaller studios. Pocketpair has assured fans that they will fight the lawsuit to protect indie developers from being pressured by major corporations.

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Palworld fans support developer amid being sued

Since Palworld’s early release in 2024, it has drawn comparisons to Pokémon. Following its release, people called it “Pokémon with guns,” and were wondering if Nintendo take action against it. While the game features similar mechanics like monster-taming and battling, it differs in several ways. The game had separating features such as, use of weapons and additional elements like crafting and survival. Some players have noted that Palworld feels like a mix between Pokémon and Ark: Survival Ascended. Since it was offering a gameplay that diverges from traditional Pokémon titles, the allegations were hushed.

Despite being sued from The Pokémon Company and Nintendo, Palworld has garnered a loyal fanbase, selling over 15 million copies in its first month. Fans have expressed their support for Pocketpair on social media. Furthermore, many fans are suggesting that the lawsuit is a sign that Palworld poses a genuine threat to Pokémon’s market dominance. Pocketpair acknowledged the fan response in a statement on X, thanking the community for their continued support.

It remains unclear whether Pocketpair can successfully defend itself against Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, but the outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for the indie gaming industry.