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Palworld developer Pocketpair has pushed back against Nintendo and The Pokémon Company over a lawsuit filed in Japan last year centred on claims of patent infringement.
One of the patents in question described game mechanics like throwing items to capture creatures, riding creatures, and AI-driven wandering behaviour. However, the full patents go into much more detailed and specific use cases.
As reported by Gamesfray, Pocketpair argued that Nintendo’s patents should be invalidated, claiming the patented concepts were already in use before Nintendo’s invention dates.
The developer cited Rune Factory 5, Titanfall 2, and Pikmin 3 Deluxe as prior examples of similar gameplay, claiming the feature was already well known before Nintendo’s patent filings.
Moreover, Pocketpair further argued that games like Far Cry 5, and Tomb Raider already featured different types of throwable objects, while titles like Octopath Traveler and Final Fantasy XIV allowed players to select targets and display capture success rates.
To counter another capture-related patent, Pocketpair cites several games – including Nexomon, Monster Hunter 4G, and its own Craftopia – as prior examples of similar mechanics.
How it began
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed a lawsuit against Pocketpair in September 2024, eight months after the game launched on January 19th, 2024.
Both Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are both seeking ¥5 million ($32,800) and an injunction against Pocketpair, based on alleged patent infringement rather than copyright.
