Palworld Devs Recall the ‘Very Depressing’ Day Nintendo Sued Them

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In September 2024, the legal action taken by Nintendo against Pocketpair regarding Palworld created quite a stir within the video game community.

In a surprising turn of events, the allegation that Palworld infringed upon patents left many, including Pocketpair, taken aback. Despite conducting thorough legal checks prior to launch in Japan, Nintendo took action by asserting patent claims. The resulting lawsuit demanded both a halt on the game’s distribution and compensation amounting to 5 million yen.

At GDC 2025, John Buckley from Pocketpair shared with PCGamer his experience when they learned about the lawsuit. “Clearly, it wasn’t a pleasant feeling,” he acknowledged, reminiscing about how Nintendo’s announcement took them by surprise. He clarified that while Pocketpair anticipated some controversy concerning Palworld’s monster-catching system, they hadn’t foreseen a complete patent lawsuit.

After realizing a potential issue with patent rights for game mechanics, the studio promptly reached out to their legal team who subsequently corresponded with the courts. Essentially, Nintendo filed a lawsuit alleging that Palworld’s “Pal Sphere” resembles their iconic Pokémon “Poké Balls,” not due to copyright infringement, but because of similarities in game mechanics protected by patents.

After the success of Palworld, it became even more questionable when Nintendo hurriedly filed patent applications, swiftly expediting the process to strengthen their argument.

This bold legal action faced criticism from industry experts who viewed it as an attempt to stifle competition instead of addressing a legitimate intellectual property concern. Buckley referred to the day the lawsuit was unveiled as one of the company’s most dismal moments. Essentially, everyone at Pocketpair is an ardent admirer, so it was a very disheartening day, with everyone looking dejected and walking in the rain.

The timing of events intensified the emotional strain, particularly as Pocketpair was preparing for significant milestones such as the debut of Palworld on PlayStation and their presentation at the Tokyo Game Show. However, the lawsuit compelled them to scale down their plans and hire security personnel to prevent potential negative reactions.

Before the legal action by Nintendo, Palworld had already been facing controversy due to its similarities to Pokémon. After its launch in January 2024, the game attracted criticism for its resemblance, earning it the nickname “Pokémon with guns.” On social media, numerous claims of plagiarism arose, based on side-by-side comparisons between Palworld’s creatures and the popular franchise by Nintendo.

Some skeptics even proposed the possibility that the game was artificially created by AI, a suggestion that Buckley firmly dismissed. In response, he humorously commented, “I could swear up and down we didn’t use AI for Palworld, but I’ve got at least five people here who are going to call me a liar.

Due to heavy criticism over the game, the negative impact on Pocketpair’s artists became very personal as they faced various accusations. In response, the studio chose to address these allegations by unveiling concept art, explaining their internal voting process known as “Pal Vote,” and defending their creative choices.

In this process, developers had a say in selecting creature designs prior to finalization, demonstrating that Palworld’s creative approach was not just about duplicating existing designs. However, discussions regarding plagiarism and AI persisted, causing Palworld to be referred to by Buckley as a “device for creating impressions.

Despite facing some legal hurdles that might slow down progress, Pocketpair is undeterred and keeps pushing ahead. This demonstrates their unwavering commitment to developing the game they initially intended to create, showing that obstacles won’t derail them from achieving their goal.

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2025-03-19 07:42