• The Pokemon Company has confirmed that it will investigate game developer Pocketpair.
• In a statement it noted that it has not given its permission over IP to another company.
• Pocketpair released Palworld as a satire “Pokemon with guns” game that’s proved a massive hit since launching a week ago.

Well, it was fun while it lasted. Over the past week, Palworld has pretty much been the only game that anyone has been talking about, but developer Pocketpair may soon find itself in IP-related litigious proceedings, as The Pokemon Company has confirmed that it is going to look into the developer.

Earlier this week, content creators publishing videos and trailers of Palworld on social media started seeing their posts being removed or non-viewable, likely earning the ire of Nintendo, and now The Pokemon Company is getting involved.

“We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024. We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game,” it explained in a press release.

“We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon. 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,” it noted.

Per TechCrunch, while Palworld sold more than eight million copies within six days of release on 19th January 2024, the success has not been great for those working at Pocketpair.

In fact, chief executive Takuro Mizobe, has said his team have been receiving vitriolic comments online, with some even being interpreted as “death threats” over the release of this game.

It still remains to be seen whether The Pokemon Company would have a legal case over intellectual property theft regarding Palworld, which has been framed as satire or “Pokemon with guns”, but Pocketpair has long claimed that its title has nothing to do with the Pokemon universe.

Here the Pals that players can capture and use in fights alongside actual firearms and weapons, being different in style and function to the IP seen in many Nintendo-based games.

Whether such an argument would hold up in a legal proceeding remains unclear, but if The Pokemon Company’s investigation yields anything, it could spell the end of Palworld for Pocketpair.