Pocketpair, the studio behind Palworld, hasn’t received any complaints or legal threats from Nintendo or The Pokémon Company, even though many people have debated how similar the game is to Pokémon. Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe shared this in an interview with GameFile.
He was responding to a statement from The Pokémon Company that said they would look into any potential copyright issues. This statement came amid talks about how closely Palworld’s creatures and concepts resemble those in Pokémon.
Despite the concerns, Mizobe confirmed that Pocketpair has not been contacted by Nintendo or The Pokémon Company regarding Palworld. Mizobe stated that the companies have not made any communication about potential copyright issues, even though there was substantial online debate and comparison of Palworld’s character models and concept art with those of Pokémon following Palworld’s early access release in January.
Mizobe, who had a brief stint at Nintendo in 2020 as part of a training program, mentioned that his experience at Nintendo taught him that creating entirely new ideas is challenging. This influenced his approach to game development, where he prefers to draw inspiration from existing concepts rather than inventing completely new ones. This philosophy is evident in Palworld, which combines familiar elements from various genres.
With no legal challenges from Nintendo or The Pokémon Company, Palworld continues to grow in popularity. The game, which combines survival elements with monster-catching and manufacturing, has sparked interest and even inspired similar games.
Palworld is set to receive new content, including an island update, new creatures, a new raid, an additional boss, and a PvP arena mode reminiscent of Pokémon Stadium, slated for release this year.
The ongoing development and upcoming updates suggest that Pocketpair is focusing on expanding Palworld’s content and player experience. The lack of legal action has allowed the game to flourish, and Mizobe’s approach to blending existing ideas into new combinations appears to resonate with players, contributing to the game’s success and continued evolution.