When we started 2024, I don’t think any of us had “bizarre Pokémon shooter was going to blow up huge in January,” but, well, here we are. Palworld already has topped two million concurrent players on Steam with over eight million units sold, and it doesn’t look to be slowing down.
However, all of this popularity has wakened the sleeping Snorlax over at the Pokémon Company and prompted an investigation into possible IP infringement between the two games.
In a statement the Pokémon Company said, “We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024. We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game. We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon. We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokémon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokémon in the future.”
Meanwhile in the game itself, Palworld is moving to cut off cheating on the official servers: “Currently, some players have been confirmed to be cheating on the official server. We will apply a patch as soon as it is ready, but it is currently difficult to completely prevent all cheating immediately.”
