The Pokemon Company will be investigating claims of copyright infringement in an undisclosed game, though we all know which one, it’s Palworld.
Since its release last Friday, Palworld has indirectly triggered the wrath of Nintendo and The Pokemon Company following claims of copyright infringement. Often described as “Pokemon with guns,” the game has been a huge success on PC and Xbox, selling over 7 million copies and earning a spot on Xbox Game Pass.
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It hasn’t all been smooth sailing though, as the developers have been accused of blatantly stealing Pokemon designs when making their Pals, a claim that might land them in hot water following an official statement from The Pokemon Company.
The statement was issued this morning in Japan, and reads: “We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024. We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game.”
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It continued: “We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon.”
While it doesn’t explicitly name Palword in the statement, it’s pretty obvious that’s the game it’s referring to. That being said it’s unlikely any legal action will be taken, as while you can definitely draw some similarities between Pokemon and Pals nothing sticks out as blatant copyright infringement.
Fans certainly haven’t been helping though, as a mod for Palworld that reskins all the creatures into actual Pokemon was released earlier this week and was swiftly taken down by Nintendo.
Fortunately the accusations haven’t taken anything away from the game’s overall success, the developers have already shared a roadmap of new content to be added later this year.
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Palworld can be played on Xbox via Xbox Game Pass, and you can also play it on PC via Steam.