It finally happened. For months, everyone looked at those "legally distinct" blue dragons and yellow electric sheep in Palworld and wondered when the hammer would drop. Well, the hammer didn't just drop—it shattered the peace. On September 18, 2024, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company officially filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Pocketpair, the Tokyo-based developer behind the survival phenomenon.
If you're asking did pokemon sue palworld, the answer is a resounding "yes," but it’s probably not for the reason you think.
Most people assumed it would be about copyright. You know, the "this monster looks exactly like Lucario" argument. But Nintendo played a much more calculated game. They didn't go after the art style or the character designs. Instead, they went after the mechanics. They went after the soul of how the game actually plays. It’s a move that sent shockwaves through the industry because it suggests that owning an idea might be more powerful than owning a drawing.
The Patent Trap: Why This Isn't a Copyright Case
When Palworld launched in January 2024, it was an absolute juggernaut. It moved millions of copies in days. The internet was flooded with side-by-side comparisons of "Pals" and Pokémon. Some models looked suspiciously similar in wireframe structure. Yet, months went by. Silence. We all thought Pocketpair had cleared the hurdle.
Then the lawsuit hit the Tokyo District Court.
Nintendo isn't claiming Pocketpair stole the "look" of Pikachu. They are claiming Pocketpair infringed on specific patents. Specifically, patents related to the gameplay loop of aiming an item, throwing it, and capturing a creature in a 3D field.
Think about the "capture" mechanic in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. You sneak up, you aim, you toss a ball. If it hits, the creature is sucked in. This is exactly what you do in Palworld with Pal Spheres. Nintendo and The Pokémon Company hold several patents for this specific interaction.
The "Stealth" Patents
Here is where it gets spicy. Nintendo actually filed for some of these patents after Palworld was already a hit. This sounds like cheating, right? Not quite in the world of Japanese patent law. They used "divisional applications," which basically allowed them to link new, specific patent claims back to an older parent patent filed years ago. It’s a legal maneuver that effectively allowed them to sharpen their sword while Palworld was already on the market.
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Pocketpair’s CEO, Takuro Mizobe, has been surprisingly vocal. He admitted the company was caught off guard. They are a relatively small indie studio compared to the literal titan that is Nintendo. They’ve stated they will fight the suit to ensure that indie developers aren't bullied out of innovating in the "creature collection" genre. But fighting Nintendo in a Japanese court is like trying to fight a hurricane with a paper umbrella. Nintendo almost never loses these.
The Three Patents at the Center of the Storm
We aren't talking about vague ideas here. We are talking about Japanese Patent Nos. 7545191, 7528390, and 7452978.
The first one is the big one. It covers the system where a player character throws a capture item at a field monster. If the capture is successful, the monster becomes the player's "owned" asset. This patent was officially registered in the summer of 2024, but because it ties back to a 2021 filing, it carries weight against Palworld.
- The Aiming Mechanic: The act of using a reticle to target a creature specifically for capture.
- The Success Calculation: The way the game determines if a catch "sticks" based on the creature's status.
- The Mountable Creatures: Patents regarding the transition from a field creature to a mount that the player can ride seamlessly.
Honestly, it feels targeted. Because it is. Nintendo has a history of protecting its IP with a level of ferocity that makes Disney look relaxed. They waited until they had the perfect legal configuration before pulling the trigger. They aren't asking for Palworld to be deleted—at least not yet. They are asking for an injunction (a stop to the infringement) and a total of 10 million yen (plus late fees) split between Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.
Wait, 10 million yen? That’s only about $66,000 USD.
That sounds like pocket change for a game that made hundreds of millions. But don't let the low number fool you. That is likely a "placeholder" amount to get the case moving. In Japanese law, you can adjust the damages later once the court determines the extent of the infringement. The real goal isn't the money; it’s the injunction. If Nintendo wins, they could potentially force Pocketpair to change the fundamental way Palworld works, or even block its sale in Japan.
Why Didn't They Sue for Copyright?
This is the question that keeps gaming lawyers up at night. Copyright is notoriously hard to prove in the "monster" genre. You can't own the idea of a "fire lizard." You can only own the specific expression of that lizard. If the lizard in Palworld has different horns, a different tail, and different proportions, a judge might say it's just "inspired" by Pokémon.
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Patents are different. Patents cover functions.
If I patent a specific type of zipper, it doesn't matter if your jacket is blue and mine is red. If you use my zipper design, you're in trouble. By suing over patents, Nintendo avoids the subjective debate of "does this look like a Pokémon?" and moves the fight to the objective reality of "does your code do exactly what our patent describes?"
It's a terrifying precedent for the industry. If Nintendo can patent "throwing a ball at a monster," what does that mean for other games? What happens to Temtem or Cassette Beasts? Usually, Nintendo stays quiet unless a game becomes a massive commercial threat. Palworld wasn't just a clone; it was a competitor that was stealing the "adult" audience Pokémon has ignored for years.
The Sony Factor and the Future of Palworld
Just as the lawsuit was heating up, Pocketpair announced a massive partnership with Sony Music Entertainment and Aniplex to form "Palworld Entertainment." This was supposed to be the beginning of a massive multimedia empire—merchandise, anime, the whole nine yards.
Then the suit hit.
Suddenly, that expansion looks a lot more precarious. Sony is still moving forward with the PS5 release of Palworld (it’s out now in most regions, though the Japanese release was delayed briefly due to the legal heat). It’s a messy situation. You have one Japanese giant (Sony) backing a game that another Japanese giant (Nintendo) is trying to legally dismantle.
What happens to your save files?
If you're a player, don't panic. These lawsuits take years. Even if Nintendo wins, the most likely outcome is a settlement where Pocketpair pays a licensing fee or tweaks the UI of the capture mechanic. It is extremely rare for a game of this scale to be pulled from shelves and wiped from existence. The "10 million yen" figure suggests Nintendo is looking for a "win" to establish dominance rather than looking to bankrupt the studio.
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How to Track the Lawsuit's Progress
Since the initial filing in late 2024, the case has moved into the discovery and briefing phases. Japanese courts move methodically. We are seeing a back-and-forth where Pocketpair tries to invalidate Nintendo's patents by proving "prior art"—basically arguing that other games did these things before Nintendo patented them.
- Watch the Patent Office: If Pocketpair can get the Japanese Patent Office to revoke those specific patents, Nintendo's case collapses.
- Follow the Japanese PS5 Release: The status of the game in its home country is the best "barometer" for how the legal team feels about their chances.
- Check the "Paisa" Updates: Pocketpair is still updating the game. If you see a sudden, weird change to how you throw Pal Spheres, you’ll know they’ve reached a settlement or are trying to bypass the patent.
The Bigger Picture for Gaming
The question of did pokemon sue palworld is really a question about the future of game design. If mechanics can be locked behind patents, innovation slows down. But if companies can't protect their inventions, why bother inventing?
Pocketpair is currently positioned as the "rebel" fighting for the rights of small devs. Whether that's true or if they simply flew too close to the sun with a "Pokémon with Guns" marketing strategy is up for debate. For now, the game remains playable, the servers are up, and the legal battle is just getting started.
Actionable Steps for Concerned Fans and Creators
If you are following this case or are a developer worried about the fallout, here is what you should actually do:
- Diversify your library: If you enjoy the creature-capture genre, support other indies like Coromon or Monster Sanctuary. They use different mechanics that are further away from the Nintendo "patent zone."
- Study the "Divisional Patent" concept: If you are a dev, understand that a patent filed today can sometimes "reach back" in time. Consult with a specialist in IP law if your game relies on a single, core "gimmick" popularized by a Triple-A studio.
- Don't buy into the "Palworld is dying" narrative: Lawsuits of this scale are business as usual for Nintendo. The game is still making money, and the developer has plenty of cash to sustain a multi-year legal defense.
- Monitor the Japanese Court Press Releases: Official updates on the Tokyo District Court proceedings are the only source of truth. Ignore Twitter "leaks" that claim the game is being deleted tomorrow.
The reality is that Palworld changed the industry by proving there is a massive appetite for a more complex, survival-focused take on the monster-catching loop. Whether they do it with Nintendo's blessing or after a massive legal defeat, that genie isn't going back in the bottle.
Next Steps to Stay Informed:
- Check the official Pocketpair X (formerly Twitter) account for their periodic "Legal Update" posts where they disclose the specific patent numbers being contested.
- Review the Japanese Patent Office (JPO) database if you want to see the exact diagrams Nintendo is using to claim ownership of the "throwing" mechanic.
- Keep playing—current legal experts suggest that any "injunction" would likely result in a gameplay patch rather than a total blackout of the game's service.