In a perfect example of the phrase, “mess around and find out”, a modder flirting with disaster added Pokémon into Palworld via mods, just found out how quickly the world’s oldest video game company works to defend its properties.
YouTuber ToastedShoes experienced firsthand the consequences of such modding activities. He developed a mod for Palworld that replaced in-game characters with Pokémon and Ash Ketchum from the anime. However, not long after showcasing a teaser of this mod on social media, Nintendo issued a DMCA takedown, resulting in the removal of the video. ToastedShoes announced that the mod would not be publicly available for the time being, citing the need to “tread lightly” following Nintendo’s action.
Nexus Mods, a leading source for video game mods, has expressed reluctance to host Pokémon-related content for Palworld. Their community lead, Mathew Elliott, shared with PCGamesN that while it’s interesting to see Pokémon content in Palworld, it makes them feel comfortable due to the potential legal risks posed by Nintendo’s history of legal challenges.
I've been getting a large influx of people asking where they can get the mod etc. We want to release it for free to everyone, however due to Nintendo sending a DMCA over the last tweet we want to tread lightly for the time being
— Toasted (@ToastedShoes) January 23, 2024
The response from Nintendo doesn’t come as a surprise. If anything, it was a long time coming. The company has quite the history of vigorously defending its intellectual property, often taking legal action against the unauthorized use of its characters and franchises. This protective stance isn’t limited to major infringements but extends to fan-made content and mods as well.
While using mods can significantly enhance the gaming experience, they risk infringing upon the intellectual property rights of others, especially when it comes to well-guarded franchises like Pokémon.
For Palworld, a game that already draws controversial comparisons to the Pokémon series, the presence of protected as well as original Pokémon characters through mods could further complicate its position. The developers, Pocketpair, has yet to officially support mods at this time, although they plan to add mod support post-launch.
Unfortunately, with Nintendo breathing down its neck as it promises to investigate reports of plagiarism and copyright infringement, Pocketpair may want to focus on other things first.
