Palworld Is Massively Popular, And Nintendo’s Lawyers Are Clearly Not Happy About It

Palworld Is Massively Popular, And Nintendo’s Lawyers Are Clearly Not Happy About It

Palworld is all the rage right now – and with the whole schtick being “Pokémon with guns”, it’s not hard to see why. However, the idea of Pokémon-lookalikes wielding creature-killing machines certainly didn’t sit well with the guys over at Nintendo (on top of a potential copyright infringement case, of course).

While not explicitly mentioned in any part, the statement from The Pokémon Company (which Nintendo owns) looks pretty damning. It reads:

We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024. We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game. We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon. We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokémon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokémon in the future.

The Pokémon Company

The massive hype generated by Palworld has brought this game into record-breaking status just one week into its official release, including a peak player count of 2 million players on Steam on January 24th (which does not count the ones from Xbox Game Pass, which should also be significant numbers). That puts it in second place, though it remains far from the 3.23 million clocked by PUBG, which kickstarted a trend of battle royale-style games a few years ago. The game also sold over 7 million copies in just five days.

However, the concept of Palworld did stir some controversy, like the one aforementioned. Various designers and gamers have chimed in on the matter alleging plagiarism on the developer PocketPair’s part, others pointed out that its similarities are more akin to Ark: Survival Evolved, which features similar gameplay mechanics.

Do keep in mind, though, that this doesn’t mean PocketPair is guilty of plagiarism. The statement from The Pokémon Company (and by extension Nintendo) merely states its intent to investigate the matter, so if there’s nothing concrete to begin with, chances are it won’t amount to anything significant. On the flip side, you’ll be sure Nintendo won’t go easy on anyone who messes with its IPs – just ask the modders.

Pokdepinion: Imagine the drama if Nintendo decides to strike. Get me popcorn!