INVESTIGATIONS are being carried out by The Pokemon Company against the hottest game now, Palworld.
With seven million copies sold in its first week of release, developer Pocketpair has been praised for its satirical game that combines creatures that look like Pokemon with survival, base management and shooter gameplay mechanics.
But it also had accusations of intellectual property (IP) theft levelled against the company due to the creatures in Palworld bearing strong resemblances to Pokemon designs.
On Jan 25, The Pokemon Company posted a statement on its website in both Japanese and English that it will take “appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to Pokemon”.
The statement does not explicitly name Palworld, but the insinuation is rather blunt from its opening message. “We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024.”
The Pokemon Company also said that it never granted any permission for the use of the Pokemon IP and assets in “that game”.
Based on the comments made by Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe to the Japanese gaming news outlet Automaton, Palworld has cleared legal review.
“We have absolutely no intention of infringing upon the intellectual property of other companies,” he reportedly said.
