This week on the Eurogamer Newscast, our focus turns to the recent statement from The Pokémon Company, which declares its intention to investigate Palworld for potential intellectual property infringement.
This marks a notable departure for Pokémon, as it publicly singles out Palworld for scrutiny—a departure from the norm of quietly addressing and handling rip-offs and clones for the past 25 years.
However, given Palworld’s remarkable surge in popularity on Steam and the substantial controversy surrounding it, the decision seems almost inevitable. The game’s exponential growth has thrust it into the spotlight, making it too significant to overlook.
The question now is, what comes next? On one hand, it is reasonable to expect The Pokémon Company to take decisive action if any evidence of infringement is uncovered. Safeguarding their intellectual property is crucial to prevent more audacious Pokémon-inspired games from emerging in the future.
On the other hand, the announcement itself contributes to the controversy surrounding Palworld, potentially resulting in a backlash against Pokémon if the genuinely beloved game is abruptly removed from millions of Steam libraries. Joining me this week are Eurogamer’s Ed Nightingale and Victoria Kennedy as we delve into this developing situation.
