The Pokémon Company has announced plans to investigate copy claims after fans noticed similarities with the newly-released video game Palworld.
Palworld surprised even the biggest gaming fans when it was released to the public on 19 January and swiftly shot up Steam's list of most-played games.
Within just three days, creator Pocketpair announced that Palworld had sold five million copies of the game, which allows players to travel around a large map battling human enemies and collecting creatures known as 'pals'.
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However, it didn't take long for players to notice the similarities between Palworld and the popular game Pokémon Go!, which also encourages players to collect various creatures throughout the game.
"Palworld is such an OBVIOUS rip off of Pokémon and other games," one X user wrote after experiencing the game.
Another commented: "I will not play Palworld bc I am not a fan of games that try to blatantly rip off Pokemon and this 1 [sic] is especially bad."
Other users described the game as 'Pokémon with guns'.
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In the wake of the criticism, the Pokémon Company has now released a statement to address copying claims.
Pokémon did not name Palworld directly, but made clear it was talking about the new title as it said the company had 'received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024'.
It continued: "We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game."
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Pokémon went on to express its intention to 'investigate' the game in question, indicating that it would be preparing to sue Pocketpair if necessary.
"We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon," the statement said.
"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."
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Pocketpair has previously spoken out about the criticism it received following the release of Palworld, and insisted the game was closer to titles like Ark Survival Evolved and Vanaheim than Pokémon.
In an interview with Automaton, Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe stated that the team behind Palworld had cleared legal reviewing and there had been no action taken against the company for infringement.
"We make our games very seriously, and we have absolutely no intention of infringing upon the intellectual property of other companies," Mizobe said.
UNILAD has contacted Pocketpair for comment on the similarities between the two games.
Topics: Pokemon, Gaming, Technology
Emily Brown