Ongoing patent litigation over creature-capture and summon mechanics
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company sued Palworld's developer over patented creature-capture and summoning mechanics. The fight is still live, and at least one asserted patent didn't survive contact with a patent office.
Nintendo v. Palworld · Nintendo Co., Ltd. / The Pokémon Company · Contested — one asserted summon-mechanic patent has been revoked
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed suit against Pocketpair, developer of Palworld, alleging that specific creature-capture and creature-summoning mechanics infringe patents covering aspects of the Pokémon games. This is ongoing — not a grave, not a countdown, a live dispute.
At least one of the asserted patents covering a summoning mechanic has been revoked in subsequent review — a reminder that 'patented' and 'valid patent that survives scrutiny' aren't always the same claim. We're tracking this one as a status page, not a prediction; check back as it develops.