Has there been a lawsuit filed against Palworld?
Summary
Q.Has there been a lawsuit filed against Palworld?
A.Yes — Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair in Tokyo in September 2024; the case is ongoing and has already prompted gameplay changes. (Reports cite a requested ¥10 million in damages and an injunction.)
More info
Yes. In September 2024 Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Palworld’s developer, Pocketpair, in the Tokyo District Court seeking an injunction and compensation; the filing is widely reported and the litigation has continued into 2025. See the original reporting on the filing in the Reuters report on the lawsuit.
The case targets gameplay mechanics rather than creature artwork — Nintendo alleges Palworld infringes patents covering capture/throwable-device and riding mechanics, and the suit asks for roughly ¥10 million in damages plus an injunction. Pocketpair says it disputes the claims but has made forced design compromises to avoid disruption: Patch v0.3.11 (Nov 30, 2024) removed the “Pal Sphere” throwing summon and later updates (e.g., v0.5.5) altered gliding/riding behavior. Multiple outlets summarize Pocketpair’s statement and the gameplay changes; for example see coverage of the developer’s announcement and subsequent patches in The Verge’s report on the changes and reporting on the damages amount and details in Engadget’s summary.
