The survival game Palworld was a huge surprise hit on Steam and Xbox at the beginning of the year. However, critics accused the developers of blatantly borrowing from Pokémon. Nintendo apparently sees it the same way, as they have now filed a lawsuit. The developers have commented on X, formerly Twitter.
What kind of lawsuit is this? Many had predicted it, and now it has actually happened. As Nintendo announced on September 19, 2024, it has filed a lawsuit against the Palworld makers Pocketpair together with the Pokémon Company.
A few hours later, the developers commented on X, formerly Twitter.
Palworld has just added a new island to the game.
In Palworld you can explore a new island with the Sakurajima update
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Developers take precautions, stick with Palworld
What do the developers say? In a lengthy post on the official Palworld account, the creators explain that they have been informed of the lawsuit and will take “appropriate legal action” on their part. They also plan to investigate the claims of patent infringement.
Nintendo did not sue for possible copyright infringement, as some expected, but rather based its claim on patent law. However, Pocketpair explains that they are not aware of the specific patents they are accused of infringing.
The developers emphasize again that Pocketpair is a small indie studio that just wants to create fun games. They want to continue to stick to this goal. “We will do everything in our power to ensure that indie developers are not prevented or discouraged from pursuing creative ideas,” they say elsewhere.
You can find the full post here:
What’s next for Palworld? If it’s up to the creators, the survival game will continue to be developed and improved. However, it’s a shame that they now have to invest time in things that have nothing to do with development.
Finally, the fans are thanked for their support. The post was viewed more than 160,000 times in just 60 minutes and received over 6,700 likes (as of 12:05). In the comments, players continue to express their support for the developers (via X).
We at MeinMMO have already contacted legal experts to better assess the situation. We will provide you with further information as soon as we receive an answer. Back in January, we asked the well-known lawyer Christian Solmecke: Could Nintendo successfully sue the Steam hit Palword?
It is unclear how the legal dispute with Nintendo will affect the future of Palworld. Just a few days ago, fans of the survival game were still hoping for a PS5 version of the Steam hit. Pocketpair is currently exhibiting at the Tokyo Game Show, and it is quite possible that a major announcement was planned there. It remains to be seen whether the developers will have to postpone these plans again.