Much has been said about Palworld, its success, and its striking resemblance to the Pokémon series. With well over six million copies sold worldwide in just four days and a “Very Positive” rating on Steam, it’s safe to say that Pocketpair, the game’s developers, has captured the undivided attention of gamers, especially on PC. However, a game doesn’t reach its level of success without stepping on a couple of toes, and, in the eyes of many, Pocketpair stepped on the foot of one of the biggest and angriest company of them all.
Nintendo, one of the three co-owners of the Pokémon brand, is oddly silent despite several online discussions focusing on Palworld’s monster designs, which many have compared to its best-selling multimedia franchise.
Speaking to Game File, Don McGowan, the former Chief Legal Officer of The Pokémon Company, voiced his surprise at how far Palworld has progressed, hinting at potential legal issues due to its apparent mimicry of Pokémon designs. This sentiment reflects broader concerns within the gaming community regarding intellectual property rights and the fine line between inspiration and infringement.
Beyond its Pokémon-like creatures, Palworld has drawn comparisons to other games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Ark: Survival Evolved, and Valheim. The developer, Pocketpair, has previously created games like Craftopia and Never Grave, but Palworld’s success and controversy have overshadowed these earlier titles.
In response to plagiarism accusations, Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe has defended the game’s originality, stating that Palworld has passed legal reviews and that no action has been taken against it by other companies. Mizobe insists that the team takes the creation of their games very seriously and has no intention of infringing on the intellectual property of others. He also points out that Palworld shares more similarities with Ark: Survival Evolved in terms of gameplay and other mechanics than with the Pokémon series.
Despite the legal assurances, the game’s monster designs, referred to in-game as Pals, bear a striking resemblance to Pokémon, rightfully earning Palworld the moniker “Pokémon with Guns.” This has raised questions about whether the game could attract a lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. However, as Mizobe mentioned, Palworld has cleared legal reviews, suggesting that it may not face legal issues despite the similarities.
The game’s darker aspects, such as the ability to capture humans and sell their parts on the in-game black market, have added another layer to the controversy. This edgier take on the monster-catching genre distinguishes Palworld from the more family-friendly Pokémon series.
For what it’s worth, the Palworld Modding Community on Reddit has taken steps to distance itself from the mods that directly involve Pokémon, fearing potential legal actions from Nintendo. The community has banned links to share or download Pokémon mods, as well as any related files, to protect itself from any legal repercussions. This precautionary measure reflects the sensitive nature of copyright issues in the gaming industry, especially concerning Nintendo, known for its stringent enforcement of intellectual property rights.
As it stands, it feels like Pocketpair is only a single new Pal away from Nintendo finding solid ground to file a lawsuit that could derail its upward trajectory. Then again, if Nintendo wanted to, it already had several years to do it. The fact that Palworld has come out, even only in Early Access, suggests that even Nintendo’s army of lawyers hasn’t found the necessary magic bullet yet.
Nevertheless, Pocketpair has expressed its confidence in their compliance with legal standards, but the parallels drawn with the Pokémon series should continue to fuel debate within the gaming community.
