The Pokemon Company Says It Intends To Investigate Palworld

Even before it released in early access, Palworld has been extensively compared to Pokemon, with the key additions of guns and a much darker mythos. Amid claims that the survival game may have plagiarized parts of its monster designs from Pokemon, The Pokemon Company has finally released a statement on the game, saying it has "received many inquiries regarding" Palworld.

The statement, as picked up by Wario64, was shared on The Pokemon Company's Japanese corporate site, and included an English translation. "We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024," the statement begins. "We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokemon intellectual property or assets in that game. We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokemon."

The statement concludes with a message that sets the cheery world of Pokemon apart from Palworld's ruthless take on the monster-collecting concept, saying: "We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokemon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokemon in the future."

Nintendo, which jointly owns The Pokemon Company, is infamous for being quick to protect its intellectual property. A modder who put actual Pokemon characters into Palworld has already received a DMCA, apparently from Nintendo, about it, with both his tweet and YouTube video about the mod being removed. It's yet to be seen whether Palworld's alleged similarities to Pokemon's monster designs will be enough for The Pokemon Company to take legal action against its developer.

Palworld has been a surprise hit since it launched in early access, selling over 7 million copies in five days, and reaching the second highest number in Steam history for concurrent players. Not everyone is as enchanted by the monster-collecting survival game, with reactions across the internet being many and varied.