The Pokémon Company responded to the accusations and discourse around its newest competitor, Palworld. Prepare to be underwhelmed.
It appears as though enough people finally poked the poké-bear. After days of online discourse about Palworld being the new pocket monster king and/or the biggest plagiarism scandal since Milli Vanilli, the House of Pikachu finally responded. The Pokémon Company released a response on its official japanese site today responding about Palworld and its "legally distinct" nature.
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. 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.
Translation? We ain't doing nothing, yo.
The Pokémon Company, Palworld, and 'The Discourse'
If you've been under a digital rock in the last week then you may have missed the meteoric rise of Palworld. A slapdashedly-looking game if there ever was one, the once colloquial "Pokémon With Guns" game became an instant success. At over two million concurrent players on Steam and (as of this writing) five million units sold, it's the kind of unpredictable hit that time travellers love. And yet, you're just as likely to see folks talking ad nauseum about whether Palworld is literally and/or figuratively stealing from The Pokemon Company.
Everyone with an opinion--which is to say, everyone--is speaking up. Armchair game developers, actual game developers, NSFW Deviant Art furries, game journalists approaching the age of 40. Everyone has something to say. However, The Pokémon Company response makes things pretty clear: Keep the mods down and we're good.
That's fair. After all, this isn't the first time a challenger has come for Pikachu's crown. While the perennial second-place monster franchise will always be Digimon, that ignores other and less subtle knock-offs. Monster Rancher, anyone? Remember CDs? Did you have Medabots on Game Boy? I did.
And Palworld is just that, except... Um, successful. Digimon stans, don't come at me. Is this response from TPC just an opening salvo? Is it possible we see the company change course and opinion? Maybe, but for now the king has spoken. Pika. Pika.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for esports news and Palworld information.