Nintendo now has three patents that could be used against the popular game Palworld, with a fourth one likely to be approved soon. These patents might lead to a lawsuit against Palworld’s developer, Pocketpair, in the coming months.
According to GamesFray, Nintendo was recently granted its third anti-Palworld patent on March 11, 2025. This patent (No. 12,246,255) covers the smooth switching between flying and land travel in games. Nintendo has also requested to interview a patent examiner about a fourth patent, which appears likely to be approved.
What Are These Patents About?
Nintendo’s first two patents were granted in late 2024 and early 2025. The first patent (No. 12,179,111), approved on December 31, 2024, describes a system with two modes – one for aiming and throwing items to capture characters, and another for battling using previously captured characters.
The second patent (No. 12,220,638), granted on February 11, 2025, builds on the capturing system. It adds features like an aiming mechanism, a success-rate indicator, and the action of launching items to catch characters.
The newest patent focuses on switching between different rideable objects in a game, which could target Palworld’s feature of riding different creatures. The fourth patent in progress also deals with similar mechanics.
Changes to the Patents
For the latest patent, Nintendo initially had 22 out of 23 claims rejected. However, after meeting with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Nintendo made some changes. They added new requirements to their claims, dropped two claims completely, and made limited changes to another.
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company even added a 24th claim about interacting with characters that players either battle with or capture.
What This Means for Pocketpair
These patents strengthen Nintendo’s legal position against Palworld. GamesFray believes it’s “fairly likely” that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company will file a patent infringement lawsuit in the United States, possibly as early as late spring or summer 2025.
Interestingly, Pocketpair seems to have anticipated some of these patent issues. They modified Palworld in update v.0.3.11, changing some mechanics that might have violated Nintendo’s earlier patents. These changes caused some problems in the game, including issues with certain creatures spawning correctly.
The Legal Connection Between Patents
For the fourth patent, Nintendo had to submit a disclaimer connecting it to the third patent because U.S. law doesn’t allow two patents for the same invention. This disclaimer means:
- The patents can’t be sold separately
- They can’t be used unfairly in lawsuits
- The newer patent won’t last longer than the first one
As of April 1, 2025, the fourth patent is listed as “Allowed — Notice of Allowance Not Yet Mailed” on the USPTO website.
While a lawsuit seems increasingly likely, it’s not certain. The outcome of legal matters in Japan might influence Nintendo’s decisions about proceeding with a U.S. lawsuit.
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