Nintendo Officially Files Lawsuit Against PocketPair, Creators of Palworld

Nintendo, in partnership with The Pokemon Company, has officially announced legal action against PocketPair, the creators of Palworld. In a statement posted on NintendoCoLtd via X (formerly Twitter), the company confirmed that it filed a patent infringement lawsuit in Tokyo District Court on September 18, 2024. The lawsuit aims to stop the alleged infringement and seeks damages due to multiple patent violations in Palworld.

The news is not entirely unexpected, especially considering the resemblance between Palworld’s “Pals” and Pokemon creatures. Palworld, which was released in January 2024, features several characters that closely resemble Pokemon species, drawing attention and controversy from players and critics alike. Despite these concerns, Palworld has enjoyed success on Steam, boasting over 274,000 reviews and holding a “Very Positive” rating.

Nintendo’s previous involvement with PocketPair saw the company intervene when users modded Palworld to include Pokemon and other elements from Nintendo’s franchise. These mods were swiftly taken down following Nintendo’s action.

What the future holds for Palworld remains uncertain, as the lawsuit could lead to the game being delisted or even rendered unplayable, depending on the outcome of the court case.

Nintendo’s statement concludes with a firm stance: “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 aggressive approach to protecting its IP, it’s no surprise that they are pursuing legal action. The company has a history of shutting down fan-made games and issuing cease-and-desist letters to creators whose work resembles their trademarks.

The only surprise here is how long it took for this lawsuit to materialize. Many in the gaming community anticipated this move from Nintendo much sooner, given the striking similarities between Palworld’s characters and several Pokemon species, such as Electabuzz, Wooloo, Yamper, and Eevee. Many creatures in Palworld appear to be heavily inspired by Pokemon designs across multiple generations or seem like hybrid creatures derived from Pokemon.

This controversy has been discussed extensively on social media platforms, but it appears that the legal battle has now officially begun.