The Pokémon Company Launches Probe: Investigating Alleged IP Infringement by Palworld Amid Rising Concerns
The Pokémon Company has announced an investigation into potential copyright infringement by the wildly successful game Palworld, which has gained immense popularity on Xbox and Steam. Since its recent release, Palworld has broken numerous player records, but concerns about similarities between its creatures and Pokémon have led to accusations of plagiarism against developer Pocket Pair.
Although The Pokémon Company’s statement doesn’t explicitly mention Palworld, it alludes to a game released in January 2024, stating, “We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024.” The statement emphasizes that no permission has been granted for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game. The Pokémon Company intends to investigate the matter thoroughly and take appropriate measures to address any potential infringement on intellectual property rights related to Pokémon.
This move follows The Pokémon Company’s prompt action to shut down a mod that replaced Palworld’s creatures with Pokémon, leading Nexus Mods to announce that it would not host any Palworld-Pokémon mods on its platform.
In a prior interview with Automaton, PocketPair’s CEO Takuro Mizobe asserted that Palworld had undergone legal reviews, and no action had been taken against the developer by other companies. Mizobe emphasized the team’s commitment to developing games without infringing on the intellectual property of others. The investigation adds a new layer to the ongoing discussions surrounding Palworld’s unique position in the gaming landscape.