Palworld Hits 32 Million Players During Year 1 as Nintendo Pokémon Lawsuit Looms Over the Horizon

Palworld, the crafting and survival game dubbed "Pokémon with guns," has achieved remarkable success since its January 2024 early access launch, attracting over 32 million players across Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation 5. Developer Pocketpair expressed gratitude for this overwhelming support, promising continued efforts to enhance the game in its second year.

The game's launch was a phenomenal success, breaking sales and concurrent player records. The influx of revenue was so significant that Pocketpair's CEO, Takuro Mizobe, stated the company was initially overwhelmed by the profits. Capitalizing on this momentum, Pocketpair partnered with Sony, establishing Palworld Entertainment to expand the IP and bring the game to the PS5.

However, Palworld's success is overshadowed by a high-stakes patent lawsuit filed by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Following the game's launch, comparisons between Palworld's "Pals" and Pokémon sparked accusations of design plagiarism. Instead of pursuing copyright infringement, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company opted for a patent lawsuit, demanding 5 million yen (approximately $32,846) each, plus damages and an injunction halting Palworld's distribution.

Pocketpair acknowledged the three Japanese patents at issue, which center around the virtual capture of creatures. Palworld's mechanic of capturing monsters using a "Pal Sphere" bears resemblance to the system in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Interestingly, Pocketpair recently altered the Pal summoning mechanic, leading to speculation about its connection to the lawsuit.

Patent law experts view Nintendo and The Pokémon Company's legal action as a testament to the threat Palworld poses. The outcome of the lawsuit, should it not be settled beforehand, remains uncertain. Despite the legal battle, Pocketpair remains committed to defending its position in court and continues to release major updates and crossovers, including a recent collaboration with Terraria.