Investigation Launched by Pokémon Company Over Accusations of Copying in Palworld

The Pokémon Company has announced plans to investigate claims that the popular online multiplayer game Palworld has copied its intellectual property. Fans have noticed similarities between the two games, prompting the Pokémon Company to state that it will take action if its copyright has indeed been violated. Pocketpair, the developer behind Palworld, has stated that the game passed all legal checks before its release. Palworld gained attention for its trailer in 2021, which led to it being dubbed "Pokémon with guns." The game revolves around collecting various creatures with unique abilities, much like the beloved Nintendo franchise. The accusations of copycatting arose due to the designs of Palworld's companions, but neither company has directly addressed these claims. The Pokémon Company released a statement without explicitly mentioning Palworld, but referring to "another company's game released in January 2024." The statement stated that no permission had been granted for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets and that an investigation will be conducted to address any infringement. The company has not taken legal action against Pocketpair so far. However, an Australian YouTuber alleges that Nintendo issued a copyright claim against him for posting a video featuring Pokémon characters within Palworld. Furthermore, the gaming news site PCGamesN reported that Nexus Mods, a platform for user-made modifications, declined to host Pokémon-themed changes for Palworld due to concerns about legal consequences. Despite these controversies, Palworld has achieved considerable success, selling 8 million copies since its early access release last Friday. Players, called "pal-tamers," explore a vast map where they battle human enemies and capture and recruit creature companions. The game combines elements of survival games like Ark and Rust, which are popular among PC gamers. Palworld has received positive reviews from users, despite experiencing server crashes. The game's developers have acknowledged that its unexpected success has caused some issues and are actively working to resolve them.