Pokémon Company Intends to ‘Investigate’ Palworld for Potential Infringement

World Pal has taken the gaming world by storm, but its heavy influence on the Pokémon franchise means the studio is under investigation. The Pokémon Company itself recently released a statement expressing concerns about possible copyright infringement.

The game continues to sell in large numbers

The recent public statement – written in Japanese and English – draws attention to “requests regarding another company’s game released in January 2024.” The post goes on to say that the Pokémon Company has “granted no permission for the use” of its intellectual property.

As a result, an investigation is being opened and “appropriate measures” will be taken. It's worth noting that nowhere does he specifically mention Palworld. However, given the date mentioned – as well as the fact that PocketPair's game is compared to the Pokémon franchise by everyone who has played it – most will make the connection.

While all of this is going on, Palworld reigns supreme in today's gaming climate. Released just a week ago, the open-world survival title that lets players catch cute animals called “Pals” has already sold more than eight million copies.

Data from Steam Database shows that it recently passed the two million concurrent players mark on Steam. It quickly became one of the best-selling releases in recent video game history.

Since day one it's been compared to a very Pokémon-style game, so it's probably no surprise that the official developer is looking to investigate. The Pokémon Company is partly owned by Nintendo, known for its fairly ruthless legal department.

We cannot say what the future will be World Pal will now be criticized for potential infringement. If you want to play it, it's available on PC and Xbox Game Pass. However, be aware that it is still in early access and is known to have some serious bugs.