Palworld, the game commonly referred to as 'Pokémon with guns', has been at the center of controversy due to claims of it being a rip-off of Nintendo's famous Pokémon franchise. Following its early access launch on January 19th, the development team, Pocketpair, disclosed they have received death threats. Pocketpair clarified that Palworld draws inspiration from the survival crafting genre, citing similarities with titles like Ark Survival Evolved and Valheim, rather than Pokémon.

Despite the backlash, the CEO of Pocketpair, Takuro Mizobe, stated in an interview with Automaton that the game has passed all legal reviews and no legal actions have been taken by other companies against Palworld. Mizobe stressed that the game's creators take intellectual property very seriously and never intended to infringe upon other companies' properties.

Concerns about harassment towards game developers have been rising, with a Game Developers Conference survey revealing 91% of 2,300 developers consider player harassment and toxicity towards developers a significant issue. Amidst the criticisms, Palworld has achieved tremendous success with a notably high number of sales, though it experiences some lag in updates and server stability across platforms.

For gamers interested in Palworld and its development, check out IGN’s ongoing Early Access Review for in-depth analysis.

Is Palworld legally considered a Pokémon rip-off?

No, according to the Automaton interview with CEO Takuro Mizobe, Palworld has cleared legal reviews and no actions have been brought against it by other companies.

Palworld, created by Pocketpair, is an open-world survival game that incorporates creatures similar to Pokémon, known as 'Pals'. Players can capture, train, and battle these creatures while surviving in a vast environment. The game mixes creature collection with crafting, base building, and combat, distinguishing itself from the Pokémon series. It has been gaining attention due to its darker themes, including the use of firearms and industrialization elements, which contrast with Pokémon's more family-friendly approach. As a new entry in the survival crafting genre, Palworld attempts to offer a fresh twist by integrating these beloved gameplay mechanics.