The Pokemon Company has issued a statement saying it is investigating claims that another game has copied its games.
Palworld, which was launched on PC and Xbox last week, has had fans point out similarities between that game and the long-established Pokemon franchise.
The Pokemon Company has said it will take “appropriate action” if any breaches of copyright are discovered in the Palworld game.
Palworld was nicknamed ‘Pokemon with guns’ when its first trailer emerged in 2021 and, now the game has landed, this has stuck. The game involves players, called ‘pal-tamers’, moving round a world collecting a range of small monsters known as ‘pals’ that have different abilities and can be captured and recruited, which some have said is similar to the ever-popular Nintendo games. Although Palworld differs in a key aspect as this game involves large weapons too, which are not a part of Pokemon.
The game also has elements in its gameplay that have drawn comparison with survival titles such as Ark and Rust.
The Pokemon Company’s statement doesn’t name Palworld specifically, rather mentioning “another company’s game released in January 2024”. The statement added that it had received many inquiries about it, but the company had not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets.
In the statement, The Pokemon Company outlined its current plans. “We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights.”
Meanwhile Pocketpair, the makers of Palworld, has defended the game, saying that the game had passed legal checks before it was released.
Since Palworld launched less than a week ago, it has created a sensation, selling more than eight million copies. It has had positive feedback from gamers and has a ‘very positive’ rating on digital store Steam.
The Pokemon Company has not formally launched any legal action against Pocketpair.
