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Nintendo, in collaboration with The Pokémon Company, has officially announced a lawsuit against PocketPair, the developers of Palworld. In a statement posted on the NintendoCoLtd account on X, Nintendo revealed that they filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the Tokyo District Court on September 18, 2024. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to halt further infringements and to secure damages, claiming that Palworld infringes on multiple Nintendo patents.
This development was expected by many, with the only surprise being how long it took to happen. Palworld launched in January 2024, and later that same month, The Pokémon Company began investigating the game. The controversy stems from the game's "Pals," which bear a striking resemblance to many of Pokémon's iconic creatures, blurring the line between inspiration and theft. Despite this, Palworld has garnered over 274,000 reviews on Steam and maintains a "Very Positive" rating.
In a related issue, Nintendo has previously dealt with PocketPair when users began modding the game to include Pokémon and other Nintendo-themed content. These mods were swiftly removed after Nintendo intervened. The future of Palworld remains uncertain, as the game could face delisting or become unavailable depending on the court’s decision.
Nintendo's statement on the matter was brief but clear: "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."
Given Nintendo’s history of aggressively protecting its intellectual property, especially against fan games and similar products, it’s no surprise they are pursuing legal action against PocketPair. Over the years, Nintendo has issued numerous cease-and-desist orders to creators of Nintendo-inspired content, and this case is likely to follow the same assertive path.
What surprises many, however, is how long it took for this lawsuit to materialize. Fans have pointed out that several Pals in Palworld look unmistakably similar to Pokémon like Electabuzz, Wooloo, Yamper, and Eevee. Many of the creature designs seem either directly inspired by or a combination of existing Pokémon from various generations.
As the legal battle begins, the controversy surrounding Palworld continues to unfold on social media. We will update you with any statements from PocketPair regarding the lawsuit.
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