Palworld accused of copying Pokémon models, developer pushes back, says artists are being slandered

GamesActionPalworldPalworld accused of copying Pokémon models, developer pushes back, says artists are being slanderedWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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Image for Palworld accused of copying Pokémon models, developer pushes back, says artists are being slandered

Ludicrously successful Pokémon parody survival gamePalworld, which hassold four million copies in just days, has come under the microscopes of internet detectives who think its 100 Pokémon-like monsters go beyond parody into straight-up rip-off territory.

Maybe they’re brothers? #Palworld #Pokemon #Lycanroc model from SV. pic.twitter.com/KnGSozfJGQJanuary 21, 2024

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“To ‘accidentally’ create a complex model mesh with so near-exact proportions is practically impossible,” wrote former Blizzard designer Eric Covington (who is not a 3D artist)on Xin a highly-shared tweet. “To repeat that improbability throughout your roster… doesn’t pass the sniff test.”

An anonymous videogame character artisttold VGCthat the comparisons showed different models, but that the Palworld models may have been “built over the top of the Pokémon models” and that they wouldn’t be comfortable claiming them as original work.

現在、弊社のアーティストに対して誹謗中傷が届いており、殺害予告に近いようなツイートも散見されます。パルワールドに関して様々な意見を頂いておりますが、パルワールドに関する制作物の監修は全て私を含めた複数人で行っており、制作物の責任は私にあります。…January 22, 2024

In arecent blog post(machine translated from Japanese), Mizobe admitted to being in over his head when production of Palworld’s models and animations began. Pocketpair planned to make 100 monsters for the game, but didn’t know anything about rigging them for animation and its file management was a “mess.” However, according to Mizobe, everything changed after Pocketpair brought on a veteran animator who showed them their errors and set up “a mass production system.”

Palworld guides(Image credit: Pocket Pair)Best Pals: What to catch earlyPalworld roadmap: The early access planPalworld mods: Best tweaks to installPalworld multiplayer: How to co-opPalworld dedicated server: Full-time PalsPalworld breeding guide: Get started with cake and eggs

Palworld guides

(Image credit: Pocket Pair)Best Pals: What to catch earlyPalworld roadmap: The early access planPalworld mods: Best tweaks to installPalworld multiplayer: How to co-opPalworld dedicated server: Full-time PalsPalworld breeding guide: Get started with cake and eggs

(Image credit: Pocket Pair)

Palworld Black Marketeer - Petting a Pal

Best Pals: What to catch earlyPalworld roadmap: The early access planPalworld mods: Best tweaks to installPalworld multiplayer: How to co-opPalworld dedicated server: Full-time PalsPalworld breeding guide: Get started with cake and eggs

The Pals' similarities to Pokémon may turn out to be more controversial among gamers than lawyers in the end. The notoriously litigious Nintendo hasn’t made a move against Palworld at this time, and attorney Brandon Huffman of videogame-focused firm Odin Law and Mediatold Bloombergtoday that he doubts Pocketpair needs to worry about it. Last week,we describedthe Pals as a “Frankenstein stitching” together of Pokémon pieces which creates a look particular to Palworld: “a surreal gallery of familiar eyes, limbs, and silhouettes.”

Personally, I think it’s something more mundane: further proof that PC gamers have zero defense against the allure of any newearly access survival game.

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