Pokémon Filed Lawsuit Against Creators of The Game ‘Palworld’ for Breaching Their Patents

The makers of the popular adventure game "Palworld," Pocketpair, are being sued by the Pokémon Company and Nintendo.

'Palworld', a popular survival game published earlier this year, is facing serious patent infringement charges. The game, which blends charming creature-collecting with brutal shooting scenes, has captivated millions. Described as "Pokémon with guns," players use firearms to acquire and train creatures known as "pals."

However, a legal dispute has now resulted from what began as a viral phenomenon, as Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have sued the game's developers for patent infringement. The creators of Pokémon filed a complaint on Wednesday with the Tokyo District Court, claiming that Pocketpair Inc.'s game (Palworld) violates many patents and asking for an injunction and damages. Representatives for Pocketpair have not yet responded to the case.

The Pokémon Company stated in January that it will look into any possible intellectual property rights violations in the game.

To support the worldwide licensing of Palworld, Pocketpair announced in July that it was forming a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment and Aniplex Inc. Founded in April of 2015, Takuro Mizobe is the Chief Executive Officer of Pocketpair.

In just one week following its debut, Palworld had sold over eight million copies. Its superficial similarity to Pokémon is currently the source of disagreement between the two groups.