Nintendo released a statement announcing a patent lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair. Given Nintendo's infamous reputation for applying overwhelming legal pressure, the announcement led plenty of us to wonder when in the eight months since Palworld's release Nintendo might've started setting its litigation gears in motion.

Palworld developer Pocketpair has officially issued a response to Nintendo's allegations of patent infringement, says they are unaware of violations.

With Palworld coming to PS5 today, that means you can play the open-world survival game on Sony 's platform alongside PC and Xbox Series X. Somehow, we don't think Nintendo is being added to the list just yet. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Analysis from a Japanese legal firm specializing in patent law (via Automaton Media) concludes that "patents established before the release of Palworld did not necessarily correspond to the mechanics of Palworld," while patents submitted after Palworld launched into early access earlier this year "worked to improve this."

Pocketpair, the company behind Palworld, says it doesn’t know what patents it violated. The game has been described as “Pokémon with guns” by many players online.

Palworld is launching on PlayStation 5 today, after releasing in early access on PC and Xbox Series X|S earlier this year. The massive survival-crafting game saw huge numbers at launch and has now made its way to the PS5, despite currently being sued by Nintendo for alleged patent infringement.

Who’s ready to capture some Pokémon-looking creatures and force them into labor camps to manufacture assault rifles? As announced in the new State of Play, PlayStation 5 players can now join in the Palworld fun with a port out on Sony’s platform just a week after maker Pocketpair was sued by Nintendo for alleged patent infringement.

Nintendo and The Pokemon applied for this patent in 2021 and secured it in Japan in 2023. The application is still pending in the U.S. @sweetpotatoes has a good story on this: https://t.co/BsVBqtdhMV https://t.co/ZIhquVwfYT

Arguably it was a long time coming, but now nine months later Nintendo has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Palworld. While the game's developer, Pocketpair, claims it's "unaware of the specific patents" infringed upon, the dispute has opened up a wider discussion around the creative freedom of indie developers.

When Nintendo announced its lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair last week, it kicked off immediate conversations about how well Pocketpair could hope to fare in court. Despite Nintendo's last few years on the intellectual property warpath,