'Pokémon With Guns': Nintendo Files Lawsuit Against Palworld Developer Over Alleged Patent Violations

Nintendo ADR NTDOY and The Pokémon Company have officially filed a lawsuit against Tokyo-based indie game developer Pocketpair, accusing the studio of infringing on multiple patents with its game Palworld.The lawsuit, filed on Sept. 18, seeks “an injunction to halt the infringement and compensation for damages,” Nintendo’s press release states.In response to the suit, Pocketpair said: “At this moment, we are unaware of the specific patents we are accused of infringing upon, and we have not been notified of such details.”See Also: Pokémon, Palworld Controversy Teaches This Developer A Lesson: ‘I Try To Avoid Creating New Things’The legal move follows months of fan speculation that Palworld, an early-access title often dubbed “Pokémon with guns,” had crossed into territory protected by Nintendo's intellectual property. Nintendo's Lawsuit“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,” the company said in its official statement.Pocketpair's Palworld launched in January 2024 and immediately gained attention, both for its fresh take on the survival crafting genre and for the controversy surrounding its uncanny similarities to Pokémon. Fans were quick to point out parallels between Pocketpair's creatures, known as "Pals," and popular Pokémon designs. Pocketpair, however, defended its work, insisting that Palworld is more aligned with games like Ark: Survival Evolved and Valheim.Pocketpair’s Reacts To LawsuitWhile pledging to cooperate with legal proceedings, Pocketpair expressed concern over the toll this lawsuit could take on indie developers: “It is truly unfortunate that we will be forced to allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit.”Pocketpair added that despite the lawsuit, it remains committed to improving Palworld and continuing its development. The developer apologized to fans for any concerns the legal dispute may cause and assured players that the game would not be affected in the short term.Palworld's SuccessPalworld was a breakout hit upon its early-access release on Steam and Xbox Game Pass. Priced at $30, the game quickly climbed the charts, breaking records for sales and concurrent players. It was lauded for its deep survival mechanics and the unusual combination of creature collection and combat. However, the game's similarities to Pokémon—particularly in the design of its creatures—became a talking point for players and critics alike.Some of the creature designs in Palworld bear an undeniable resemblance to Pokémon. For example, Palworld’s electric Pal, Sparkit, draws comparisons to the iconic Pikachu, while others, like Pengullet, remind players of the Pokémon Piplup. Pocketpair has acknowledged these similarities but has consistently maintained that the designs are original and part of the game's broader survival gameplay.Read Next: Nintendo Escalates Anti-Piracy Campaign With Lawsuit Against Modded HardwareNintendo Strikes Down Yuzu Emulator In $2.4M Settlement: What Does This Mean For Game Preservation?Photo: Shutterstock