Palworld Developer Surprise Launches Another Game on Nintendo Switch Despite Lawsuit

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Summary

  • Pocketpair released OverDungeon on the Nintendo eShop in a surprise move.
  • OverDungeon is a genre-blending action card game with tower defense mechanics.
  • Despite an ongoing lawsuit, Pocketpair celebrated OverDungeon’s launch with a 50% off sale.

Unexpectedly, game developer Pocketpair has introduced their 2019 release, OverDungeon, to the Nintendo eShop. This action comes following several months of controversy surrounding Pocketpair, as they faced accusations of patent infringement from both Nintendo and The Pokémon Company regarding their game Palworld.

In September 2024, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company took legal action against Pocketpair due to similarities between their popular monster-taming game, Palworld, and the Pokémon series. Specifically, they claimed that Pal Spheres, a feature in Palworld reminiscent of Pokeballs, violated certain patents related to Pokémon’s creature-capturing system. This lawsuit stirred up debate within the gaming community. Pocketpair responded to the situation as “unfortunate,” promising to adhere to investigative procedures. Even amidst the lawsuit, Palworld saw a surge in players following a significant update on Steam in December. Now, it appears that Pocketpair is making further headlines by introducing another game on the Nintendo eShop.

January 9 saw an unexpected release of the game OverDungeon on Nintendo Switch consoles. Previously available only on Steam since 2019, OverDungeon is a unique blend of action card play, tower defense, and roguelike mechanics as described on the Nintendo eShop. This marks Pocketpair’s first venture into the Switch gaming world, with no prior announcements made about its launch. However, Pocketpair has confirmed that OverDungeon is currently on sale at a 50% discount until January 24 to celebrate its debut on the Nintendo platform. It’s puzzling as to why developers opted for the Nintendo eShop when their other game, Palworld, is playable on PS5 and Xbox. Some speculate on social media that this could be another strategic move by Pocketpair in response to Nintendo’s recent lawsuit.

Pocketpair Launches Its First Nintendo Switch Game Amid Lawsuit

Although Palworld is undeniably Pocketpair’s most renowned game, it’s not the only one that’s been likened to a Nintendo game. In fact, back in 2020, Pocketpair introduced Craftopia, an RPG that bore a strong resemblance to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This game continues to receive updates on Steam, including ones in December. Interestingly, while there’s been consistent promotion for Palworld even after the lawsuit, developers have also been promoting Craftopia following its collaboration with Terraria. The first part of this crossover introduced a new character called Meowmeow, and Pocketpair has confirmed that more Terraria-related content is planned throughout 2025.

Following the disclosure of the lawsuit, there’s been scarcely any new information shared by the parties concerned. Some intellectual property experts predict that Nintendo’s legal dispute over Palworld could drag on for years if it doesn’t get settled. Beyond the Terraria collaboration, Pocketpair has hinted at additional plans for Palworld in 2025, such as a Mac version and a possible mobile adaptation too.

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2025-01-10 03:58