Nintendo and the Pokémon Company filed a lawsuit Wednesday, Sept. 18, in Tokyo against Pocketpair, accusing the video game maker of patent infringement. Pocketpair is the company behind the popular survival adventure video game “Palworld,” known by fans as “Pokémon with guns.”
In a statement released Thursday, Sept. 19, Nintendo said, “This lawsuit seeks an injunction against infringement and compensation for damages on the grounds that Palworld, a game developed and released by the Defendant, infringes multiple patent rights.”
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Released in January 2024, “Palworld” became a surprise hit, selling more than 5 million copies in its first three days. In the game, players use guns to capture creatures known as “pals.”
On its website, Pocketpair says “Palworld” is “home to over 100 unique pals, each equipped with a diverse set of skills to enhance the player’s adventure. Along your journey, you will also encounter formidable boss pals… Naturally, these boss pals are also capturable.”
As for “Pokémon, The Pokémon Company’s website said the world of Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and features “creatures of all shapes and sizes who live alongside humans. People known as Pokémon trainers form lasting friendships with their Pokémon partners, and as a team, they go on adventures, train to improve their skills, and battle in friendly competitions.”
Pocketpair said in a statement of its own on Thursday, Sept. 19, it was alerted of the lawsuit on Sept. 18.
“At this moment, we are unaware of the specific patents we are accused of infringing upon, and we have not been notified of such details,” Pocketpair said.
Pocketpair, which describes itself as a small indie game company whose goal is to “create fun games,” said it will begin “appropriate legal proceedings.”
“It is truly unfortunate that we will be forced to allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit,” Pocketpair said. “However, we will do our utmost for our fans, and to ensure that indie game developers are not hindered or discouraged from pursuing their creative ideas.
In July 2024, Pocketpair announced a partnership with Sony to promote the licensing of “Palworld” globally in a new joint venture called “Palworld Entertainment.” Nintendo, in the meantime, said it will continue to take necessary actions against any infringement “to protect the intellectual properties it has worked hard to establish over the years.”
