Publisher NetworkGo has delisted Pickmos from Steam after its plagiarism controversy escalated out of control.
The upcoming game Pickmos has sparked widespread outrage among gamers, who have pointed out apparent plagiarism in its characters, which appear eerily similar to those in Pokémon and Palworld. As a result, the publisher has now intervened in the project, removing it from Steam as it supervises development.
Pickmos
Release date: To be announced
Platform: PC via Steam
Developer: PocketGame
What is Pickmos?
Pickmos is an upcoming multiplayer open-world game incorporating survival and crafting elements. Players are able to capture monsters known as Pickmons using cards. They can also build bases and craft weapons, according to its description on Steam.
However, Pickmos faced heavy criticism shortly after the game's listing went live on the platform earlier this month, with promotional materials showing creatures that very closely resemble iconic Pokémon such as Pikachu and Charizard. It is also accused of copying another similar title in the genre, Palworld, which itself is facing a Nintendo lawsuit, as well as various fan artworks.
What happened to Pokémon look-alike Pickmos?
Following the initial backlash, the controversial game underwent a single-letter titular change, rebranding its name from Pickmon to Pickmos. The developer stated that this was done to “better align with our brand identity and lore” and to reflect a broader universe, as well as to incorporate a play on the word “cosmos”.
However, the change did little to ease public backlash, as the core game content remained unchanged and the creatures are still referred to as “Pickmons”. Many players have also taken issue with what they perceive as a knee-jerk reaction attempting to bury the scrutiny, rather than actually addressing concerns.
On 16 April, the official Pickmos X account was seemingly taken over by its publisher, NetworkGo, which stated that it is intervening to monitor development “from a player’s perspective” and ensure improvements are made.
“We’ve heard your feedback regarding the removal of our Steam store page and want to clear things up. NetworkGo has officially intervened in the development of PocketGame. We will be supervising the Pickmos team from a player’s perspective to ensure the game keeps getting better. Thank you for your support,” the Pickmos account stated.
As of now, Pickmos is unavailable on Steam. NetworkGo might attempt to rework the project to avoid potential copyright concerns before a relaunch, but that remains to be seen.
