Palworld Hits 32 Million Players During Year 1 as Nintendo Pokémon Lawsuit Looms Over the Horizon

Palworld, the crafting and survival game dubbed "Pokémon with guns," has achieved remarkable success since its January 2024 early access launch, boasting over 32 million players across PC (Steam), Xbox, and PlayStation 5. Developer Pocketpair expressed gratitude for this overwhelming support, promising continued efforts to enhance Palworld in its second year.

The game's launch was a phenomenal success, breaking sales and concurrent player records. This success led to unexpected challenges—Pocketpair's CEO, Takuro Mizobe, stated the company was initially overwhelmed by the game's massive profits. Capitalizing on this momentum, Pocketpair partnered with Sony to establish Palworld Entertainment, focusing on expanding the IP and further platform releases, including the PS5 launch.

However, Palworld's journey hasn't been without its hurdles. A high-profile patent lawsuit with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company presents a significant challenge. Following Palworld's launch, comparisons to Pokémon arose, leading to accusations of design similarities. Instead of a copyright infringement suit, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company pursued a patent infringement claim, seeking 5 million yen (approximately $32,846) each, plus damages and an injunction.

Pocketpair confirmed the three Japanese patents at issue, which center around the mechanic of capturing creatures in a virtual field—a mechanic present in Palworld's Pal Sphere system, reminiscent of Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Interestingly, Pocketpair recently altered the Pal summoning mechanic, prompting speculation regarding its connection to the lawsuit. Patent experts view the lawsuit as a testament to the threat Palworld poses. Pocketpair remains resolute, vowing to defend its position in court.

Despite the ongoing legal battle, Pocketpair continues to release substantial updates for Palworld and has even pursued collaborations with other major titles, including a crossover with Terraria.