Since its early access launch in January 2024, Palworld has attracted over 32 million players across all platforms, including PC via Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation 5. Dubbed "Pokémon with guns" before its record-breaking release, the crafting and survival game has captured the gaming community's attention.
Pocketpair expressed their gratitude on social media, saying, "Thank you so much! As always, your support means the world to us!" John 'Bucky' Buckley, Communications Director and Publishing Manager at Pocketpair, added, "We will continue to work hard to make Palworld year 2 even better!"
Palworld launched on Steam for $30 and was immediately available on Game Pass for Xbox and PC, breaking sales and concurrent player number records. The game's massive success led to unprecedented profits, which Pocketpair's boss Takuro Mizobe admitted the developer struggled to manage. Capitalizing on this success, Pocketpair signed a deal with Sony to create Palworld Entertainment, aiming to expand the IP and bring the game to PS5.
As Pocketpair continues to update Palworld, they face a high-profile patent lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. The lawsuit stems from comparisons between Palworld's Pals and Pokémon, with accusations of design infringement. Rather than pursuing copyright infringement, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed a patent lawsuit, seeking 5 million yen (approximately $32,846) each, plus late payment damages and an injunction to block Palworld's release.
In November, Pocketpair confirmed they are being sued over three Japan-based patents related to capturing Pokémon in a virtual field. Palworld features a similar mechanic where players use a Pal Sphere to capture monsters, akin to the system in the 2022 Nintendo Switch exclusive, Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Recently, Pocketpair made changes to how players summon Pals, leading to speculation that these adjustments were in response to the patent infringement lawsuit.
Patent experts view the lawsuit as evidence of the threat Palworld poses to established franchises. Pocketpair remains defiant, stating, "We will continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings." Despite the legal challenges, Pocketpair has continued to release major updates for Palworld and has ventured into collaborations with other major video games, including a Terraria crossover.
