Pokemon May Be Gearing Up to Sue Palworld in the US Too

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As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve been closely following the news about Pocketpair’s popular game Palworld. It seems that a newly published Nintendo patent in the US shares striking similarities with one of the patents they’re using to sue Pocketpair in Japan. Given Nintendo’s reputation for legal battles, this could potentially indicate that The Pokémon Company might be planning to take similar action against Pocketpair here in the US as well. Back in September, we saw Nintendo and The Pokémon Company file a lawsuit in Japan, alleging patent infringement. Interestingly, it was revealed later that three patents were at the heart of this legal dispute. So far, we’ve only seen legal action unfold in Japan, but this new development could be the first sign of further updates on the case.

Nintendo earns US patent similar to the one used to sue Pocketpair over Palworld in Japan

Ever since its debut in January 2024, the game Palworld has been under close observation due to its resemblance to Pokémon. Initially, it was largely fans who noticed striking similarities in the 3D models and made light-hearted jokes about it. Before its release on Steam and Xbox, Palworld was often referred to as “Pokémon with guns.” However, for much of last year, there were no signs that Nintendo or The Pokémon Company would take action. A week after the launch of Palworld, a vague statement was issued, but by the autumn of 2024, many believed that Nintendo had failed to build a strong enough case.

2024 saw Nintendo filing a lawsuit against Palworld for alleged patent infringement. In November, Pocketpair disclosed the patents under contention. As per The Verge’s report, these patents seem to outline activities reminiscent of Pokémon, with one focusing on the act of tossing a ball at characters in an open area, another related to aiming, and the third centered around riding creatures. Interestingly, Games Fray noticed a US patent that appears to share similarities with those used in the Japanese lawsuit.

On December 31st, 2024, Nintendo received a patent that outlines two primary methods for interacting with wild Pokémon: one involves picking up a “catching object” such as a ball, and the other entails releasing a combat character. In simpler terms, players can either try to capture a wild Pokémon by throwing a “capture tool” or engage in battle by sending out one of their team members. However, a patent published on February 11th, 2024 suggests that Nintendo is working to blur the lines between these two modes to potentially align with the patents at the center of the Japanese lawsuit.

Is it typical for Nintendo in the US to behave this way with their patents, or could they be preparing to challenge Pocketpair internationally? At this point, it’s unclear either way. While the resemblance between these patents and those used in Japan suggests Nintendo’s intentions, nothing is certain. We’ll have to keep an eye out for further updates on this matter.

The findings from this case could potentially affect other games involving capturing creatures too. Games such as Cassette Beasts and Beastieball, which don’t employ any capture devices that are thrown, may stand out if Pokémon is able to retain its unique method of capturing creatures. On the other hand, games like Nexomon might find themselves in a situation similar to Palworld, due to their use of throwable capture devices. However, it appears Nintendo is only taking action against Palworld at this time. It’s possible that Palworld’s immense success in 2024 finally prompted Pokémon to take notice and take action after years of existing games like Nexomon.

Simultaneously, there’s some exciting news to share. Pocketpair seems to be leveraging the triumph of Palworld by establishing a publishing division within their company, dedicated to nurturing other independent games. They’ve already garnered numerous applications following the announcement that their first game will be in collaboration with Tales of Kenzera: ZAU developers, Surgent Studios.

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2025-02-14 00:02