The Pokémon Company finally reacts to the Palworld phenomenon

The Pokémon Company has finally addressed Palworld ‘s situation, assuring that they “intend to investigate and take appropriate action”regarding any possible violations of their intellectual property.

Palworld has taken the world by storm to start 2024. Originally labeled as “Pokémon with Guns,” the runaway hit that broke records on Steam in a short time, has players gathering resources, crafting items, bases and weapons, while catching Pals in the open world, much like the series in comparison.

Much controversy has emerged since its early access release, with everything from AI claims to accusations of copycat clones spread across social media.

Now, after days of silence, The Pokémon Company has addressed the issue. Without explicitly naming Palworld, a January 24 statement touched on “another company’s game released in January 2024.”

Pokémon compared with Palworld 😮 pic.twitter.com/NNvYyQD9mb

— DEXERTO.FR (@dexertoFR) January 24, 2024

“We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in this game,” the statement reads, clearly implicating Palworld.

“We intend to investigate and take appropriate action to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to Pokémon. We will continue to cherish and cultivate each Pokémon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokémon in the future.”

As it’s still early days for Palworld’s release, although its sales numbers would have you think otherwise, The Pokémon Company is clearly weighing its options at the moment. Launching an investigation into the surprise success of 2024, it is not yet clear exactly what could pose a problem for them.

Pikachu and a Pal — The Pokémon Company / PocketPair

While Pal’s models are certainly similar to many of those found in Pokémon, in some cases eerily similar, Palworld’s director has rejected any claims of direct clones, insisting that such accusations are “defamatory.”

At the moment, some legal practitioners argue that there are simply too many differences between the two games for The Pokémon Company to have a solid basis for suing. However, this is just speculation for now.

We’ll have to wait and see exactly what The Pokémon Company does from here, although there’s no longer any doubt that Palworld is certainly at the forefront of their radar.

Developers at Pocketpair have yet to publicly address the statement. But rest assured, we will keep you updated with all the latest developments.