A new report from Tokyo Sports, and according to a source within a talent agency, several Japanese celebrities have been told not to mention Palworld in order to avoid backlash from The Pokémon Company.
“We have told our talent not to mention Palworld on social media or in public,” the source said. “This was done out of consideration for the Pokémon side as an agency. This decision was made in consideration of future potential collaborations.”
It’s not entirely surprising as Pokémon continues to be more popular than ever and often has collaborations in Japan, including cafes, art exhibitions, fashion, and more.
Palworld launched in Early Access on January 19 and has since taken the world by storm. The monster-catching title has wracked up a massive 19 million players across PC and Xbox, and that’s only in twelve days. According to Microsoft, Palworld is now the biggest third-party Game Pass launch in the service’s history.
Of course, it’s also received its fair share of controversy, with some claiming its monsters bear similarities to the designs of various Pokémon. The controversy really heated up when an anonymous account on X posted videos directly comparing the 3D models of the two games.
At the end of January, The Pokémon Company released a comment showing it was aware of Palworld, without explicitly naming the game.
“We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024. We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game,” reads a comment on the Pokémon website.
“We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon. We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokémon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokémon in the future.”
Despite any ongoing controversy, developer Pocketpair has provided a roadmap for upcoming content and changes to Palworld. It’s a pretty straightforward roadmap that’s mostly committed to fixing critical issues and improving AI, but there are some new features planned, including Raid Bosses, a Pal Arena, crossplay, PvP, and more.
