Palworld developer hit with death threats over plagiarism

The gaming world is currently abuzz with the news of indie game Palworld's developer, Pocketpair, receiving death threats over allegations of plagiarism from the Pokémon series. As reported, some people believe that the 'Pals,' creatures in Palworld, bear too much resemblance to Pokémon, leading to severe backlash against the development team. The CEO of Pocketpair has taken full responsibility and urges the public to halt negative messages aimed at their employees.

Despite the controversy, it's noteworthy that Palworld, available on Steam, Xbox consoles, and Game Pass, has achieved impressive numbers with six million sales and over 1.7 million concurrent players since its Early Access launch. In the game, players collect and utilize Pals to assist with farming and as protection, and dungeon exploring is a key element where Pals may be shot for food or materials. Notwithstanding the commercial success, some are accusing the developer of potentially using AI to "mix" Pokémon to come up with new designs, which has sparked legal interest from industry professionals, including a former legal officer from The Pokémon Company.

Palworld is a multiplayer, open-world survival crafting game developed by Pocketpair, where players can collect and breed creatures called Pals. The game also integrates farming, crafting, and combat elements, and has drawn comparisons and controversy over its supposed similarities to the Pokémon series.

As background information, it's relevant to mention that Pokémon is a well-established franchise with a deeply entrenched fanbase and a detailed world of creatures. Developing a game with similar elements is bound to invite scrutiny, especially when designs closely mirror the iconic Pokémon look. This situation has sparked not only a massive online dialogue about the ethics of game design and potential plagiarism but also raised concerns about the treatment of game developers and the harsh reactions they can face from the public.