Palworld Developer Pocketpair Details Nintendo Lawsuit Filed Against It
Pocketpair, the studio behind Palworld, has provided an update on the high-profile patent lawsuit filed against it by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company in September.
Pocketpair states that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are each seeking 5 million yen (approximately $32,846), plus late payment damages, as well as an injunction against Palworld, which, if successful, would block the game’s release.
The larger implication involves the patents that Nintendo claims Pocketpair infringed, which centre on catching Pokémon-like creatures in an open field. The primary patent in question concerns Palworld‘s mechanic of throwing a ball-like object (the Pal Sphere) at a monster to catch it. Another patent references the ability to ride on top of Pokémon, a feature Palworld also includes.
There are three patents that are being targeted, which you can see below.
[Patent application date: July 30, 2024]
[Patent registration date: August 27, 2024]
[Patent application date: February 26, 2024]
[Patent registration date: May 22, 2024]
[Patent application date: March 5, 2024]
[Patent registration date: July 26, 2024]
Pocketpair has said it will “continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings.”
Palworld was first released in Early Access on PC and Xbox in January, immediately drawing millions of players. The game has since sold over 15 million units and attracted more than 25 million players, with a PS5 release added.
The overwhelming success even led Pocketpair to forge a deal with Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) and Aniplex Inc. to create a joint venture company called Palworld Entertainment, aimed at accelerating a “multifaceted global development of Palworld” and expanding the brand beyond the game itself.
