Palworld Reaches 32M Players Amid Nintendo Pokémon Lawsuit Threat

Since its early access launch in January 2024, Palworld has attracted over 32 million players across all platforms, including PC via Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation 5. Dubbed “Pokémon with guns” before its record-breaking release, the crafting and survival game from developer Pocketpair has been a massive hit. "Thank you so much!" Pocketpair expressed on X (formerly Twitter). "As always, your support means the world to us!" John 'Bucky' Buckley, Pocketpair's Communications Director and Publishing Manager, added, "We will continue to work hard to make Palworld year 2 even better!"

Priced at $30 on Steam and available on Game Pass for Xbox and PC, Palworld broke sales and concurrent player records upon its launch. The game's success overwhelmed Pocketpair, with CEO Takuro Mizobe admitting the developer struggled to manage the massive profits. In response, Pocketpair quickly capitalized on the game's breakout success by signing a deal with Sony to establish Palworld Entertainment, aimed at expanding the IP and launching the game on PS5.

Despite its ongoing updates and expansions, Palworld faces a looming high-profile patent lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Following Palworld's huge launch, accusations surfaced that Palworld's Pals were too similar to Pokémon, leading to claims of design "ripoffs." Instead of pursuing a copyright infringement lawsuit, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company opted for a patent route, seeking 5 million yen (approximately $32,846) each, plus late payment damages and an injunction to block Palworld's release.

In November, Pocketpair confirmed it was being sued over three Japan-based patents related to catching Pokémon in a virtual field. Palworld's mechanic of capturing monsters with a Pal Sphere in a field mirrors the mechanic in the 2022 Nintendo Switch exclusive, Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Recently, Pocketpair modified how players summon Pals, prompting speculation that this was in response to the patent infringement lawsuit. Patent experts view Nintendo and The Pokémon Company's lawsuit as evidence of the competitive threat posed by Palworld. Pocketpair remains defiant, vowing to "continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings."

Amidst the legal challenges, Pocketpair has continued to support Palworld with major updates and has pursued collaborations with other major video games, including a crossover with Terraria.