Nintendo chases modder for sneaking Pokémon into Palworld

The gaming community is buzzing after modder Toasted Shoes teased a Palworld mod featuring Pokémon, which led to a swift DMCA takedown from Nintendo. Palworld, the crafting and survival title known as 'Pokémon with guns,’ is in the spotlight as it draws comparisons to the popular Pokémon series due to its monster companions called Pals. Despite developer Pocketpair's claim of Palworld being original and legally vetted, many are speculating about potential copyright infringement actions from Nintendo or The Pokémon Company. Palworld, boasting six million copies sold and a significant 1.7 million peak concurrent player count, is available on Xbox and Windows PC, including as a day-one Game Pass title. Modding sites like Nexus Mods are removing Pokémon-related content, possibly to prevent legal issues with Nintendo.

Nintendo issued a DMCA takedown on a tweet by Toasted Shoes that showcased a Palworld mod featuring Pokémon, including Ash Ketchum and Pikachu.

Palworld, developed by Pocketpair, launched to commercial success and has been subject to intense scrutiny due to its Pokémon-like gameplay elements. The game falls into the survival crafting genre, inviting comparisons to titles like Ark: Survival Evolved and Valheim. Received with mixed sentiments, it has become a controversial title among fans who are torn between calling it an homage or a ripoff of the beloved Pokémon franchise. Despite the current legal challenge with the mod, Palworld stands as an example of how fan creativity and copyright law are increasingly colliding in the gaming world. The situation garners particular attention due to the past strict legal actions by Nintendo to protect its intellectual properties.