Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have filed a lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair for patent infringement. The lawsuit, announced in a joint statement on September 18, comes after months of scrutiny over the similarities between Palworld’s monster designs and those from the Pokémon franchise. Full statement down below:

“Nintendo Co., Ltd. (HQ: Kyoto, Minami-ku, Japan; Representative Director and President: Shuntaro Furukawa, “Nintendo” hereafter), together with The Pokémon Company, filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the Tokyo District Court against Pocketpair, Inc. (HQ: 2-10-2 Higashigotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, “Defendant” hereafter) on September 18, 2024.

This lawsuit seeks an injunction against infringement and compensation for damages on the grounds that Palworld, a game developed and released by the Defendant, infringes multiple patent rights.”

Nintendo will continue to take necessary actions against any infringement of its intellectual property rights including the Nintendo brand itself, to protect the intellectual properties it has worked hard to establish over the years.

Palworld, released in January 2024, quickly gained popularity but also drew criticism for its monster designs, which closely resemble those in Pokémon. The lawsuit seeks compensation for damages, citing the game’s clear resemblance to Pokémon’s intellectual property.

This legal action follows increasing dissatisfaction with recent Pokémon games, such as Scarlet and Violet, which faced technical issues at launch. In contrast, some players claimed Palworld offered a better experience, despite the similarities. These issues were further amplified when fans modded Pokémon characters into Palworld, leading to a DMCA takedown.

The lawsuit also comes just two months after Pocketpair’s partnership with Sony to create Palworld Entertainment, a move aimed at expanding the franchise.