“It is truly unfortunate that we will be forced to allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit,” — Palworld responds to news of Nintendo suing for patent infringement

"It is truly unfortunate that we will be forced to allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit," — Palworld responds to news of Nintendo suing for patent infringement

What you need to know

  • Pocketpair, the developers of Palworld, are being sued by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for patent infringement following speculation that the ‘Pals’ resemble Pokémon.
  • Today, Pocketpair issued a statement to fans, responding to the news and expressing regret for the time this will take away from development.
  • Additionally, they claim they are unaware of the specific patents they are accused of infringing.

As a tech enthusiast with a keen eye for gaming trends, I find myself at the center of yet another intriguing development in the gaming world – the lawsuit against Pocketpair by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Being an avid follower of Palworld since its early days, I’ve witnessed its meteoric rise to fame, surpassing even the mighty Pokemon in popularity during its Early Access phase on Xbox Game Pass.


Following the announcement that Nintendo and The Pokemon Company plan to sue Palworld developers, Pocketpair, due to patent infringement claims – Pocketpair has issued a response. In a blog post titled ‘Addressing the Lawsuit’, they express concern over the time this legal dispute might consume from their Palworld game development, and admit that they are unclear about which specific patents they are alleged to have violated. Here’s the entire statement:

“In response to a recent patent infringement lawsuit filed against us, we’re taking immediate legal action while conducting thorough investigations into the allegations. At this juncture, we don’t have details about which specific patents are under question.

An outpour of support from Palworld fans

"It is truly unfortunate that we will be forced to allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit," — Palworld responds to news of Nintendo suing for patent infringement

I’m thrilled to share that my recent post, originally published elsewhere too, has been re-shared by Bucky – the community manager of Palworld! He expressed gratitude on behalf of the team for the warm words and messages from the fans. What an honor it is to be part of this vibrant community!

On September 18th, a lawsuit was initiated against our company for allegedly violating a patent. We’ve been informed about this legal action and will commence necessary legal responses and investigations concerning the accusation of patent infringement. At present, we are not aware… (of any specific details).

Supporters of Pocketpair are expressing an immense amount of approval, with some likening its legal struggle to the classic David versus Goliath tale. Numerous individuals have suggested games reminiscent of the Pokemon universe, like Dragon Quest, as comparable options.

Business attorney Richard Hoeg, often sought out for his expertise in gaming industry litigation, has also shared his thoughts on the current state of affairs.

Probably going to need more specifics before I can comment more completely, but Palworld is such a different type of game from Pokémon, it’s hard to imagine what patents (*not* copyrights) might have been even plausibly infringed. Initial gut reaction is Nintendo may be reaching. https://t.co/3L2D5EZ7hhSeptember 18, 2024

It seems that many people are puzzled as to why Nintendo is taking legal action against Palworld now, especially since it was a massive hit on Xbox Game Pass during Early Access and even before its trailers were released back in 2021. However, The Pokemon Company did issue a statement this year, without directly naming Palworld:

What are Nintendo suing Pocketpair for?

"It is truly unfortunate that we will be forced to allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit," — Palworld responds to news of Nintendo suing for patent infringement

At launch, Pokemon fans drew comparisons between the Pals

"It is truly unfortunate that we will be forced to allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit," — Palworld responds to news of Nintendo suing for patent infringement

At launch, Pokemon fans drew comparisons between the Pals

In a recent interview with Automaton, Palworld’s developer Takuro Mizobe discussed potential legal issues concerning the resemblance between ‘Pals’ in his game and Pokemon characters. Although he admitted being a fan of the Pokemon franchise, he was cautious about making direct comparisons due to the high quality of the games.

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2024-09-19 13:09