Gaming’s first big surprise hit of 2024 arrived early with the release of Palworld. Described by some as “Pokémon with guns,” the game launched in early access on Steam and Xbox in January and sold over 5 million copies in a matter of days. As The Verge reports, its impressive to have a game from a relatively unknown developer do that kind of work in that short of time.
In reality, it’s more of a survival game in the Ark or Minecraft mold, but with pokémon-like critters that you can catch and put to work for you. (But yes, there are guns.) Palworld’s announcement trailer released in 2021. It started generally enough, with a bright, colorful world populated with cute monsters that bear an almost uncomfortable resemblance to another game featuring cute, catchable creatures.
But then come the AK-47s. Midway through the game’s trailer, the tone shifts from “catch these cute monsters that will help you build your home” to “shoot these cute monsters and use them as slave labor.” One of the most memorable moments from that first trailer was the image of a bunch of pals (the monsters are called pals) that look startlingly like Sprigatito, mournfully manufacturing assault rifles on an assembly line.
The game hasn’t been without controversy. First, accusations that Palworld was made with AI. Mizobe has made posts on X discussing AI and the potential for its use in game development. His company also has another game in early access called AI: Art Impostor, where you must use the game’s “AI” art generation feature to create works of art that will fool other artists. But taken together, these instances don’t prove that Palworld was made with AI and so far, there’s no evidence that it has been.
And then there’s that plagiarism accusation. The latest is that the Pokémon Company’s lawyers are on the case. In a statement posted on the company’s website, The Pokémon Company says it’s aware of a “game released in January 2024” and plans to “take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon.”
It’s no secret that the game referred to is Palworld, a surprise hit juggernaut that’s slowly climbing up the Steam charts, well on its way to beating PUBG’s all-time peak player count of 3.2 million. It’s sold 8 million copies on Steam as of Jan. 25, and its developer, Pocketpair, just released a roadmap laying out plans for the game’s future.
Here is The Pokémon Company’s first official response:
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.
But all of this hasn’t slowed things down much, with the game regularly hitting new milestones and the developer promising plenty of updates planned for the future. We’ll just have to stay tuned to see how this all shakes out.
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