Khizar Mundia 
Palworld developer Pocketpair has published a statement on Nintendo’s lawsuit, including which patents the game is accused of violating and what damages are being sought.
Palworld was the biggest story in gaming in early 2024 after becoming an unexpected and almost unprecedented hit. Alongside discussion on the player count was criticism for how heavily derivative the game is of Pokemon. Fans started calling the game “Pokemon with guns” and were thinking its just a matter of time before Pockpair gets sued by Nintendo.
Nintendo proved those fans right and offically filed a lawsuit aganist Pocketpair claiming the company infringed multiple patents. Fans didn’t have many details and didn’t know which patents Nintendo using to file the lawsuit. However, now Pocketpair issued a public statement on its website, stating which patents it is that Nintendo claims Palword infringes upon.
Why is Nintendo suing Palworld developer Pocketpair?
Nintendo’s lawsuit claims Palword has infringed on three of its patents related to gameplay previously seen in Pokemon games, according to a statement by Pocketpair.
According to Pocketpair’s statement, Nintendo has cited three patents in its lawsuit; patents #7545191, #7493117, and #7528390. While Pocketpair claims that patents were filed after the lawsuit, the patents were originally filed in 2021 and were later approved.
The patents at the center of the lawsuit seem to be related to gameplay mechanics for Pokemon Legends: Arceus that were later seen in Palworld. These include UI elements as well as context-sensitive gameplay mechanics related to throwing items; specifically as it relates to capturing or initiating battle with a hostile unit.
Specifically, patent #7545191 relates to a Pokemon catching mechanism using a thrown Poke Ball. The patent describes aiming and throwing an object to capture a creature. It isn’t surprising that Nintendo is using this specific mechanism as the basis for the lawsuit. When Palworld was released fans noticed the similarities.
Pocketpair’s statement makes no mention of legal issues stemming from duplicating assets from Pokemon games. Content creators compared elements of the 3D models of both Pokemon and Palworld’s Pals. Elements of some Pals, such as its skeleton used for rigging and the hues used for its coloration were identical to Pokemon in a way that couldn’t have happened accidentally.
Could Nintendo kill Palworld with this lawsuit?
Nintendo is seeking an injunction against Palworld which would likely see the game shut down if successful.
Nintendo is seeking a total of 10 million yen (approximately $65,500) plus late payment damages to itself and the Pokemon Company for the patent infringements. More importantly, Pocketpair states that Nintendo is seeking an injunction against Palworld. If this happens, it would likely see the game shut down permanently.
From the way Nintendo is handling the lawsuit, it’s likely the company wants to get the game shut down.
Pocketpair says it will continue with legal proceedings but the lawsuit is one with extremely high stakes. Nintendo is notorious for pursing legal action against other companies and individuals. It might be a matter of time before Palworld ceases to exist.
