Palworld's Dev Breaks Silence on Nintendo's Probe

Six months after Palworld's early access launch, its developer reports no official plagiarism complaints from Nintendo. Recall that in January, The Pokémon Company announced an investigation and potential legal action against a competitor for suspected copyright infringement. However, Nintendo seemingly hasn't pursued this, leaving Palworld's developers to focus on the game's full release later this year.

Palworld, an open-world monster-taming game, features creatures called "Pals." Players capture and utilize Pals in combat, labor, and as mounts. Firearms are also integrated, serving as self-defense against hostile factions and equipping Pals for combat. Pals can be summoned for battles or assigned base tasks like crafting and cooking. Each Pal possesses a unique Partner Skill. While Palworld shares similarities with the Pokémon franchise in certain mechanics and character designs, Nintendo appears to have taken no action.

According to Game File, Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe denies receiving any complaints from Nintendo or The Pokémon Company, contradicting the Pokémon Company's earlier statement. Mizobe stated, "Nothing at all. Nintendo and the Pokémon Company didn’t say anything to us." He added, "Of course I love Pokémon and respect it. I grew up with it, in my generation." Despite the lack of legal action, comparisons between the two games persist, fueled further by Palworld's recent Sakurajima update.

Pocketpair CEO Rejects Nintendo's Copyright Claims

A January blog post by the Palworld CEO also revealed that the game's 100 character concepts originated from a 2021 hire—a recent graduate who had previously applied to almost 100 other companies unsuccessfully. This graduate now designs most of Palworld's characters. The game's unique "Pokémon with guns" premise propelled its popularity after release, fulfilling a long-standing fan desire for an open-world monster-catching game on platforms beyond Nintendo consoles.

Initial Palworld trailers sparked speculation of its authenticity due to its resemblance to the Pokémon franchise. Pocketpair hints at a future PlayStation release, but other console ports remain unannounced.