Palworld, the crafting and survival game dubbed "Pokémon with guns," has achieved remarkable success since its January 2024 early access launch, attracting over 32 million players across PC (Steam), Xbox, and PlayStation 5. Developer Pocketpair expressed gratitude for this overwhelming support, promising continued efforts to enhance Palworld in its second year.
The game's launch, priced at $30 on Steam and included in Xbox Game Pass, shattered sales and concurrent player records. This success led to significant financial gains, prompting Pocketpair to establish Palworld Entertainment in partnership with Sony to expand the IP and further capitalize on the game's popularity.
However, Palworld's meteoric rise is shadowed by a high-profile patent lawsuit involving Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Following the game's launch, comparisons between Palworld's Pals and Pokémon led to accusations of design similarities. Instead of a copyright infringement suit, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed a patent lawsuit, seeking 5 million yen (approximately $32,846) each, plus damages and an injunction.
Pocketpair confirmed the three Japanese patents in question, which center around capturing creatures in a virtual field—a mechanic reminiscent of Pokémon Legends: Arceus. While Palworld's Pal Sphere capture mechanic is similar, Pocketpair recently altered the Pal summoning process, prompting speculation about its connection to the lawsuit. Patent experts consider the lawsuit a testament to the threat Palworld poses. Despite the legal battle, Pocketpair remains committed to defending its position and continues to release major updates and crossovers, including a recent collaboration with Terraria.
