Pokemon Co says will defend intellectual property after viral game sparks debate

The Pokemon Company said in a statement it has ‘received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024’. — AFP

TOKYO: The Pokemon Company said on Jan 25 it will investigate and take action over any infringement of its intellectual property rights, after a viral game from a Japanese developer became dubbed “Pokemon with guns”.

Survival adventure game Palworld from PocketPair, in which players can use guns to capture and train cute creatures known as “pals”, is in early access on Steam and has sold more than eight million copies since its Jan 18 release.