Palworld Hits Back At Pokémon With New Game

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A major video game company is entering the trading card game market in 2026, creating a new competitor in the industry.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a classic, second only to Magic: The Gathering in terms of longevity. While many similar card games have emerged over the years, few have achieved lasting success. Now, a new card game called Palworld is challenging Pokémon’s dominance.

Palworld Is Releasing An Official Card Game

Pocketpair announced the Palworld Official Card Game in a recent post on the official Palworld website. The card game is scheduled to release on Thursday, July 30, 2026.

The Palworld Official Card Game is a two-player trading card game currently in development by Bushiroad, the creators of Cardfight!! Vanguard. Similar to the video game Palworld, players will build bases, collect resources, and then use their Pals to battle against their opponent.

In 2024, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company took legal action against Pocketpair, claiming that their game, Palworld, copied patented gameplay features. Critics suggest these features are common and could be found in numerous other games. While some of Nintendo’s patent applications have been rejected, others are currently under review.

Even though the legal battle between Pokémon and Palworld is still happening, it isn’t stopping Palworld’s development. The game is expected to officially launch in 2026, and the developers at Pocketpair plan to add even more content in the future. This shows Pocketpair is committed to continuing the Palworld franchise despite the ongoing lawsuit.

Can The Palworld Card Game Beat Pokémon At Its Own Game?

The video game Palworld became surprisingly popular, but will that success carry over to a card game version? Palworld sometimes features mature themes and characters with guns, which might need to be adjusted to make it appropriate for a younger audience playing a card game.

While Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, and Yu-Gi-Oh!! have long dominated the card game world, newer games like the Digimon Card Game and One Piece Card Game are proving they can compete. It’s becoming clear that these established giants aren’t invincible, and other games have a real chance to become popular.

Now, the main concern is whether The Pokémon Company will attempt to shut down the Palworld Official Card Game with legal action, similar to what they’re currently doing with the Palworld video game.

Currently, we haven’t seen any cards for the Palworld trading card game, so it’s unclear how closely it will resemble Pokémon. Pocketpair will probably share more details about the game in the next few months.

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2026-01-12 19:38