Pokémon Rival 'Palworld' Surpasses 32 Million Downloads

Palworld, the crafting and survival game dubbed "Pokémon with guns," has achieved remarkable success, boasting over 32 million players across Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation 5 since its January 2024 early access launch. Developer Pocketpair expressed gratitude for the overwhelming player support, promising continued efforts to enhance Palworld in its second year.

The game's initial release, priced at $30 on Steam and included in Xbox Game Pass, shattered sales and concurrent player records. This success led to significant financial gains, even overwhelming the developer initially, according to Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe. Capitalizing on this momentum, Pocketpair partnered with Sony, establishing Palworld Entertainment to expand the IP and bring the game to the PS5.

However, Palworld's triumph is overshadowed by a high-stakes patent lawsuit filed by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Following the game's launch, comparisons to Pokémon sparked accusations of design plagiarism. Instead of a copyright infringement suit, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company pursued a patent infringement claim, demanding 5 million yen (approximately $32,846) each, plus damages, and an injunction halting Palworld's distribution.

Pocketpair acknowledged the three Japanese patents in question, which center on the mechanic of capturing creatures in a virtual field – a mechanic similar to that in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. While Palworld uses a "Pal Sphere" for capturing monsters, Pocketpair recently altered the summoning mechanic, fueling speculation about its connection to the lawsuit. Patent experts view the lawsuit as a testament to the threat Palworld poses.

Despite the legal battle, Pocketpair remains committed to supporting Palworld with major updates and crossovers, including a recent collaboration with Terraria. The company has vowed to vigorously defend its position in court against Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. The outcome of this legal dispute remains to be seen.