Image: The Pokemon Company
The Pokemon Company has officially commented on Palworld, the Pokemon-like survival game.
The Pokemon Company has released a statement on the multiplayer survival game Palworld, which has drawn many comparisons to the Pokemon franchise due to its inclusion of adorable Pokemon-like ‘Pals’. The company intends to, “investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon."
An important note to make here is that the statement doesn’t actually call Palworld out by name. The subtext is clear, however - Palworld launched only a week ago in early access and has already sold eight million copies worldwide. There is no other Pokemon-like game dominating the industry at such great heights right now, not even within the Pokemon franchise itself.
The Pokemon Company comments on Palworld
People have drawn comparisons between Palworlds’ titular Pal creatures and Pokemon for some time now, with many pointing out similarities between certain Pals and Pokemon as a case for copyright infringement. For example, take this Pal that looks like a Galarian Meowth:
This has led to a tense online debate over Palworld potentially ripping off certain Pokemon designs on purpose or using AI-generated designs to bulk up its roster of Pals. While the latter argument - that developer PocketPair used AI to generate Pals - is unconfirmed, PocketPair has used AI in the past to make a game called AI Impostor and company CEO Takuro Mizobe has commented on AI-generated Pokemon designs on Twitter/X. None of this is substantial evidence of anything, but has stirred up a debate over the developer’s ethics nonetheless.
The Pokemon Company wrote that it has, “received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024.” You can do the math on that one (it’s Palworld). The company continued:
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.
With the unmitigated success of Palworld showing no signs of slowing down, it’s no surprise that The Pokemon Company is keeping a close eye on things. Making a statement like this seems unnecessary, but it could just be the company’s way of telling fans, “We know, we’re looking into it.” PocketPair CEO Takuro Mizobe confirmed in an interview with Automaton that the game was legally above board and no action had been taken against it for IP infringement.
Unless PocketPair suddenly and inadvisably decides to throw Pikachu into the game, it should be safe. The same cannot be said for Pokemon mods for the game, which are being taken down left and right by Nintendo’s trigger-happy legal team.