The Pokémon Company released a statement regarding Palworld, and will “take appropriate measures”

Described as “Pokémon with guns,” Palworld became the first viral game of 2024. It sold 8 million copies in less than a week and broke Steam’s all-time record for simultaneous players. Pocketpair’s survival game is on everyone’s lips, in part because of its over-the-top resemblance to Nintendo’s saga. Plagiarism or inspiration? Everything seems to indicate that the courts will be the ones to answer, as The Pokémon Company has just released a statement in which it is categorical:

“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. We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon. We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokémon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokémon in the future.”

Now it remains to be seen if Pocketpair (the studio behind Palworld) will respond to Nintendo with their press release, but the controversy is already underway. Its director has a history of using AI to copy Pokémon designs, and the game features models that are practically the same size and pixel count as Scarlet and Violet.

Apart from the presence of creatures identical to Pokémon, Palworld is a kind of rust with the sounds and menus of the latest The Legend of Zelda, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Although its creators do not refer to their sources of inspiration, all are quite obvious, and these days it has been discovered that Pocketpair also has a new game on the way that looks like a Hollow Knight plagiarism.

None of the accusations made against Palworld have prevented its success and, controversies aside, the game’s reviews on Steam could not be more positive so far.