Palworld Feels Like a Nintendo Lawsuit Waiting to Happen

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.