Pokémon fans have spent weeks accusing Pickmos of being a rip-off, and now, publisher Networkgo has stepped in, starting by taking down its Steam page.
The company backing developer PocketGame took to the official Pickmos X/Twitter account to clear the air after players noticed that its Steam page was nowhere to be found. Its message was clear: “Networkgo has officially intervened in the development of PocketGame.”
Networkgo says it will be “supervising” the development of Pickmos “from a player’s perspective.” The goal, as outlined in a follow-up post, is to steer away from the controversy that has plagued most conversations about the game regarding its clear Pokémon influence for the last month.
Hello players, this is the publisher, Networkgo. We’ve heard your feedback regarding the removal of our Steam store page and want to clear things up. Networkgo has officially intervened in the development of PocketGame.
We will be supervising the Pickmos team from a player’s… pic.twitter.com/ckqt4AEYUj— Pickmos / Pickmon / ピックモス (@PickMon_EN) April 16, 2026
“We are revising the game to ensure a controversy-free experience,” one message from the Pickmos account said. “It will be re-released once our publisher gives the final approval.”
Conversation around Pickmos picked up in early March when players began to call out developer PocketGame not only for how it has pulled from Pokémon but also from other games, such as The Legend of Zelda, Overwatch, and even Palworld, too. Its initial reveal, which saw it announced with the name Pickmon before dropping its “N” for an “S,” included plans to launch for PC, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch soon. With its Steam page now, at least temporarily, shuttered, it’s unclear when or where Pickmos will arrive, or what it will even look like.
Meanwhile, Pickmos has also been under fire for what many believe is “stolen art.” The design in question involves a piece created by X user @ElpsyFake01, which depicted concept art for an alternate Mega evolution for the Pokémon Meganium.
“Hello, I am an editor from the publisher, and we are currently gathering some information,” Networkgo said regarding the allegations. “We will be actively reaching out to @ElpsyFake01.”
For now, there is no word on how Pickmos will evolve to dodge any future controversy. For more on creature-collecting in video games, you can read about Nintendo’s recently rejected Pokémon patent.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
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