Palworld Dev Pocketpair Just Launched a Game on Nintendo Switch Despite The Pokémon Company Lawsuit

Palworld developer Pocketpair just launched a game on Nintendo Switch despite The Pokémon Company and Nintendo itself suing it for patent infringement.

As reported by Automaton, the real-time roguelike deck builder Overdungeon, which released five years before Palworld in 2019, was surprise-launched on Switch today, January 9, 2025. Overdungeon was previously only available on Steam.

The release, especially as it’s not come to PlayStation or Xbox, feels unusual given The Pokémon Company and Nintendo itself are suing Pocketpair over the wildly popular Palworld.

This open-world, multiplayer survival game was dubbed “Pokémon with guns” by fans and gained a staggering 25 million players in one month. Many drew further comparisons between it and Pokémon, claiming various Pal designs were practically direct copies of official pocket monsters.

The Pokémon Company said in January 2024 that it intended “to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights” but went quiet for months after. Finally, however, in September 2024, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company announced it was suing Pocketpair.

The developer didn’t appear particularly deterred by the lawsuit, initially saying “we are unaware of the specific patents we are accused of infringing upon” before going on to release Palworld on different platforms afterwords.

It later revealed the lawsuit was directed at patents that involce a catching mechanic: Pokémon are famously captured with Pokéballs, and Palworld are caught with a spherical object called a Pal Sphere. It’s this Nintendo and The Pokémon Company is seeking “an injunction against infringement and compensation for damages” over.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.