Pocketpair disregards Pokemon lawsuit with Palworld Mobile deal
"See you in court."
02nd Oct 2024 12:00
Images via Palworld
Pocketpair disregards Pokemon lawsuit with Palworld Mobile deal
"See you in court."
02nd Oct 2024 12:00
Images via Palworld
The Mandibuzzes are circling, but it seems like it's business as usual over at Pocketpair for now. It's been a wild ride for the developer, and after Craftopia never made it out of early access, it moved onto something new with the Pokemon-esque (but legally distinct) Palworld.
Given the notoriously litigious nature of Nintendo, we guessed it was only a matter of time until the gaming giant came for Palworld due to its likeness to Pokemon. Even though it seems the idea of Pokemon with guns flies a little too close to the Sun, Pocketpair apparently has big plans for Palworld's next evolution.
Palworld Mobile is on the way
In a press release from Krafton, the mobile gaming goliath has confirmed that it's etched a deal with Pocketpair to release Palworld Mobile. Krafton CEO Chang-Han Kim has officially signed a licensing agreement with the Japanese game developer.
We're told Krafton will "expand the Palworld IP to the mobile platform." There are plans to "faithfully reinterpret and implement the original’s main fun elements to fit the mobile environment." The team at PUBG Studios will handle the project under Krafton.
The press releases noted that Palworld sold 15 million copies on Steam in just one month, reached 10 million users on Xbox, and hit the third-highest number of concurrent users of all time on Steam. Despite the looming lawsuit, we already know Palworld has hit PS5 - although not in Japan.
After becoming an unlikely saviour to Hi-Fi Rush's Tango Gameworks, Krafton shows no sign of slowing down its rampage further into the gaming scene. Krafton has a strong track record of mobile releases, with PUBG Mobile reaching over a billion players since its release in 2018. If Palworld Mobile can get anywhere near this, Pocketpair could be laughing all the way to the bank.
When Geoff Keighley shared the news on X, fans were quick to see the funny side of the whole debacle. One joked, "They don’t give a F**** and I love it," while another added, "Nintendo watching this release on every platform like: 👁️👄👁️." A third simply said, "Palworld Go," mocking Niantic's Pokemon GO.
There's obviously the small problem of the Nintendo lawsuit. The core of the issue seems to be the monster-catching mechanics that Nintendo claims it's patented for Pokemon. If successful, Palworld and Palworld Mobile would have to change the way they work or possibly even shut down completely.
The announcement of Palworld Mobile so quickly after the PS5 release has us wondering whether Pocketpair is trying to get as many versions out there before the whole game is potentially shuttered. Remember that Pocketpair also signed a deal with Sony to expand the IP, suggesting that this is the start of something big...as long as it can survive Nintendo's legal pummeling.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
