The future ofPalworldmay be in jeopardy as The Pokémon Company and Nintendo take legal action against the game’s developer, Pocketpair. News of the lawsuit comes right after The Pokémon Company won a similar lawsuit against a Chinese company for stealing its character designs in their gameMosnter Reissue.NowPalworldis in the spotlight as it prepares to battle againstPokémonand Nintendo.
The lawsuit againstPalworldwas filed on September 18 for patent infringement. Palworld developers Pocketpair has publicly addressed the lawsuit onX(formerly Twitter), stating that they’ll begin the necessary legal proceedings to defend themselves from legal action. The company states that ithasn’t been made aware of which patents, exactly, they’ve infringed upon.
Pocketpair also voiced its disappointment at being “forced to allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit.” The developer maintains that it’ll do everything in its power to make sure that indie developers like its studio aren’t crushed into compliance by larger game companies throwing their weight around.
The Palworld Fanbase Is In Full Support Of The Game & Its Devs
The Community Rallies Behind The Indie Game Company
WhenPalworldfirst released early in 2024, people thought itlooked too much like aPokémonclone. However, actually playing the gamerevealed many differences and a depth missing from mostPokémongames.WhilePalworlddoes have monster-taming and battling mechanics (thoughusing weapons instead of special powers), it has many additional features, like crafting and survival. In fact, a more accurate comparison to make is thatPalworldexists somewhere betweenPokémonandArk: Survival Ascended.
Pokémon’s New Rival Has All The Ingredients For An Anime That Could Finally Compete With The World’s Biggest Franchise
Sony and its subsidiary Aniplex look intent on turning Palworld into a franchise. While it may be easy to write off, an anime could stand on its own.
The game quickly won players over,selling more than 15 million copies on PC just a month after release.As the legal action fromPokémonlooms over the game, the community has come together to voice their support for Pocketpair. Comments have floodedPalworld’sX announcement of the lawsuit. Many fans believe that lawsuit is a sign thatThe Pokémon Company recognizesPalworldas a threat, and, barring the well-receivedPokémon Legends: Arceus,thePokémongames have been growing stale in recent years.Palworldoffers a glimpse into what the games could look like if they were allowed to flourish and grow.
Pocketpair acknowledges the community in its post on X, stating that “We were blown away by the amazing response to the game and have been working hard to make it even better for our fans.” It remains to be seen if a small indie game company based in Tokyo has the legal standing to fight against behemoths like Pokémon and Nintendo. If they succeed, though, it could pave the way for more innovative games likePalworldto break into the market without fear of looking too similar to an existing game.
