The legal tangle between Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and studio Pocketpair over the game Palworld looks like it’s entering its final chapters — though the outcome may feel oddly anticlimactic. According to Gamesfray, even a win for Nintendo might come with only a tiny payout.
A quick recap: the suit was lodged in Japan in 2024, accusing Pocketpair of infringing three patents tied to creature-catching mechanics. The plaintiffs initially sought to stop distribution altogether. Then Pocketpair altered parts of the game — notably removing the sphere-based summoning — and the fight narrowed to older builds and sales inside Japan. So the battlefield shifted; less of a continent, more of a few contested isles.
Both sides have already exchanged evidence. The next hearing is set for Oct. 1; positions are due to be declared on Nov. 9.
Because the claims were scaled back, potential damages look very small. Gamesfray puts the ceiling at roughly ¥5M — approx. $30k USD — if infringement and losses are proven. Yes, really: five million yen. Not a figure that will rock the industry.
Reporters point out the commercial punch has largely dissipated. Any injunction would not touch the current build of Palworld, and the monetary figure is symbolic next to Nintendo’s broader finances (the company said it took about a $40M hit last fiscal year from patent fights, for context).
On the other side, Pocketpair is pressing ahead: Palworld’s Version 1.0 launches July 10. The studio promises a deeper, wider survival experience — you’ll find the game on PC (Steam), on Xbox and PS5, and via Game Pass (Russian localization included).