The release of Palworld for the PS5 has been indefinitely postponed in Japan, despite its successful launch in 68 countries worldwide. This delay is a result of a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company against the game’s developer, Pocketpair. Although Sony highlighted the global release of Palworld during its recent State of Play presentation, no mention was made of the game’s delayed status in Japan.
The official Japanese Palworld account posted on social media platform X, stating that the release date for the PS5 version of Palworld in Japan “has not yet been decided.” While the post did not explicitly confirm the reason for the delay, it is widely believed that the lawsuit is the primary cause. Nintendo and The Pokémon Company initiated legal action last week, accusing Pocketpair of infringing on their patents, though the exact patents involved have not yet been disclosed.
Pocketpair stated on September 19, acknowledging the lawsuit and confirming that they had begun legal proceedings and investigations into the claims. The developer emphasized that they were not aware of the specific patents they were accused of infringing upon and had not received detailed information about the allegations.
Palworld is a unique action-adventure game that blends survival mechanics with monster-taming gameplay. Players capture and battle animal-like creatures known as “Pals,” which can be used for various tasks, including base-building, combat, and resource gathering. The game’s unconventional premise, which includes the use of firearms and equipping the Pals with weapons, has earned it the moniker “Pokémon with guns.”
Since its early access launch for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in January 2024, Palworld has seen tremendous success. It sold eight million units within its first six days of early access and amassed over two million concurrent players on Steam. As of February 2024, the game has sold more than 15 million units, becoming one of the best-selling PC games.
