Pocketpair, the studio behind the popular game Palworld, has issued a preliminary response to Nintendo’s recent lawsuit, stating that it has initiated legal proceedings related to the case. The company emphasized that it is unaware of any intellectual property infringements associated with Palworld.
On September 18, Nintendo filed the lawsuit in the Tokyo District Court, claiming that Pocketpair’s game infringes on several patents held by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company—a collaboration involving Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures Inc. The Pokémon Company is also named as a co-plaintiff. While Nintendo has publicly acknowledged the lawsuit, it has not disclosed specific details regarding its claims.
In a statement released a day later, Pocketpair expressed its concern about the lawsuit, describing it as “unfortunate.” The studio noted that this legal challenge will divert significant time and resources away from the ongoing development of Palworld.
Pocketpair clarified that it has not yet received detailed information about the claims made by the plaintiffs, and therefore, it remains unaware of the specific patents that its game is alleged to infringe upon. Publicly available data indicates that The Pokémon Company and its subsidiaries hold at least 96 patents as of September 2024, many of which pertain to game mechanics, such as the method of interacting with characters using objects—similar to how catching Pokémon works with Poké Balls.
While it was not surprising that Nintendo decided to pursue legal action against Pocketpair, many industry observers initially speculated that any potential litigation would focus on copyright issues, especially given that some creature designs in Palworld appear to closely resemble those from Pokémon. Following the game’s release, former top attorney for The Pokémon Company, Don McGowan, expressed his disbelief,
labeling Palworld as “ripoff nonsense” and questioning how it had progressed so far in development.
Patent infringement lawsuits in Japan typically take between one and two years to reach an initial verdict, but they can extend even longer depending on the complexity of the case and the court’s schedule.
As Pocketpair navigates this legal situation, it remains committed to its community and the ongoing development of Palworld, emphasizing the importance of creativity and innovation in gaming.