Palworld Lawsuit Sparks Trouble for Future Pokemon-Inspired Games!

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2024 saw a splash when Pocketpair unveiled Palworld in its early access phase. The game’s idea was intriguing: transport players to a world reminiscent of Pokemon, but with a twist – they would carry guns in a fresh take on the survival genre. This unusual mix seemed to draw players en masse, making it one of Steam’s most popular games. However, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company noticed this trend and eventually filed a lawsuit against Pocketpair, an event that seems to have significantly altered Palworld’s trajectory.

Due to certain patents, Pocketpair has needed to modify several features in Palworld to steer clear of patent violations. Consequently, the game remains functional, but elements such as Pal Spheres have undergone adjustments because of legal disputes. It’s uncertain whether more changes will occur, but even if only these features are affected, it could potentially create challenges for future games resembling Pokemon. To avoid patent infringement, developers might face hurdles in delivering a similar gaming experience.

Pokemon-Like Games Have a Rough Future Ahead of Them

The Palworld Lawsuits Have Changed the Game

Following its launch, The Pokemon Company acknowledged they were examining the game Palworld to ensure no copyright violations, as comparisons between the two had been made and suspicions of plagiarism arose. In September 2024, Nintendo took legal action against Pocketpair, claiming that their work did indeed infringe upon some of Nintendo’s patents.

As a result of ongoing lawsuits, Pocketpair has made some adjustments to the future development of Palworld. Initially, they removed the feature that allowed players to summon Pals using Pal Spheres, and now Pals are simply summoned near the player instead. Also, players can no longer use a Pal for gliding; instead, they must utilize an actual glider. So far, no significant changes have been implemented beyond these tweaks, but it’s possible that further modifications may be made as the lawsuit progresses.

Future Pokemon-Like Games May Have to Tread Even Lighter Than Before

Due to the modifications made in Palworld, potential future games similar to Pokemon might encounter some challenges. A significant issue arises from the fact that they can no longer employ any kind of Poke Ball-like device for releasing creatures. While other non-Pokemon games have used such devices previously, this lawsuit suggests that they are now off-limits, as Nintendo holds the patent for this concept. Consequently, game studios will probably need to invent a new method for summoning monsters.

Additionally, it appears there might be problems concerning allowing players to use their characters as gliding companions. If a game developer fails to adhere strictly to certain guidelines when enabling mounting, they could potentially face legal action. Consequently, several studios might prefer to emulate Pocketpair’s approach by including dedicated gliders rather than linking them to any form of mount. Nevertheless, even if games manage to sidestep these two significant aspects, they may still encounter other challenges.

Due to ongoing legal battles involving Pocketpair, games similar to Pokemon are attracting attention and it seems this focus might persist. Consequently, any game these studios produce may face increased scrutiny from The Pokemon Company, Nintendo, and potentially the public as well. If these studios aren’t cautious, their games could also be subjected to lawsuits upon release. Therefore, unless a studio is prepared for this potential challenge, it might be wise to postpone working on such concepts temporarily.

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2025-05-28 04:08