The Pokémon Company Breaks Its Silence On Palworld

"Palworld," the hit new survival game from Pocketpair, has come under fire for its character designs, many of which greatly resemble recognizable Pokémon. Fans and detractors alike have been waiting to see if the "Pokémon" franchise's rightsholders would have anything to say about this controversial title, and now the wait is over. The Pokémon Company has finally broken its silence to let fans know that, yes, the folks behind the original monster-catching franchise are well aware of the hit game that has been referred to as "Pokémon with guns." 

Interestingly enough, The Pokémon Company does not refer to "Palworld" by name in its statement, instead just noting that the group has received numerous messages and questions about a certain recent video game release. The statement then explains, "We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game. We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokemon." 

It's pretty easy to figure out which game this statement refers to, as "Palworld" is far and away the biggest success story in gaming this month, not to mention a "Pokémon"-like. The statement no doubt references the accusations surrounding the development of "Palworld." Specifically, some have alleged that the team at Pocketpair used stolen assets and/or AI software to generate the designs for its creatures, known in the game as Pals. It seems many fans took these concerns directly to The Pokémon Company, messaging the group at such a high volume that a public response became necessary. But what exactly does this statement mean for the future of "Palworld?"

The rest of the statement from The Pokémon Company sounds pretty diplomatic, especially considering how upset some fans have expected the group to be: "We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokémon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokémon in the future." In other words, the Pokémon Company will continue to do what it does best: make 'Pokémon' products for fans of all ages.

As seen on social media, this statement has sent shockwaves through the gaming community, with some bracing themselves for what might follow. The wording of the statement certainly feels ominous in some ways, even with the wholesome closing sentiments. The fact that this message arrived just a day after Nintendo sent a DMCA strike to a YouTuber who modded Pokémon into "Palworld" also makes Pocketpair's entire situation seem a little more precarious.

On the other hand, some onlookers are already expecting this controversy to blow over soon. As pointed out by several commenters online, "Palworld" was officially announced a few years ago, so it's been in development and in the public eye for a long enough time that there's no way Nintendo and The Pokémon Company didn't know about it before launch. To many onlookers, this statement reads much more like an acknowledgement than an outright threat — a nice and official way of saying, "Yes, we've heard about this game, so please stop emailing us."

Former Pokemon Company lawyer Don McGowan doesn't seem so sure about the future of "Palworld." When asked by Game File what he thought of the controversy surrounding the game and its familiar-looking monsters, he seemed to imply that the Pokémon Company would be a bit more aggressive in cases like this. He explained, "This looks like the usual ripoff nonsense that I would see a thousand times a year when I was Chief Legal Officer of Pokémon. I'm just surprised it got this far."

For its own part, "Palworld" appears to be content with continuing on in the way it's been going, maintaining its innocence in the face of plagiarism accusations. In a conversation with Automaton earlier this week, Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe said, "We make our games very seriously, and we have absolutely no intention of infringing upon the intellectual property of other companies." Shortly after The Pokémon Company released its statement, Pocketpair's community manager posted a simple emoji of a smiley face with a halo. Fans appreciated the sentiment, with many weighing in reaffirm their love for the game and to say that they believe Pocketpair is innocent of any wrongdoing.

😇

— Bucky | Palworld & Craftopia (@Bucky_cm) January 25, 2024

It remains to be seen just how far "Palworld" will get, but the developers have plenty planned for the future. According a roadmap recently released by Pocketpair, "Palworld" will eventually receive updates containing new PVP modes and crossplay functionality between Xbox and PC, as well as tons of new Pals to catch and islands to explore.