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Pokémon’s former chief legal officer expressed surprise at Palworld’s level of success

• Jacob Chambers
• January 23rd, 2024

Palworld, the latest open-world survival and crafting game, has been making waves in the gaming industry with its record-breaking success. However, the game has also sparked intense debates and drawn numerous comparisons among players online.

The game’s monster designs have sparked a lot of discussion, with some people suggesting that it may have drawn more than just “inspiration” from the Pokémon series. It has undeniably sparked speculation about The Pokémon Company’s thought process, and although there hasn’t been an official statement, we now have the next closest thing.

Don McGowan, the former Chief Legal Officer of the Pokémon Company from 2008 to 2020, expressed his surprise at the advancements made by Palworld in an interview with Game File. Here’s the precise commentary he provided:

“This looks like the usual ripoff nonsense that I would see a thousand times a year when I was Chief Legal Officer of Pokémon. I’m just surprised it got this far.”

Palworld has been compared to popular games like Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Ark: Survival Evolved, and Valheim, showcasing its potential to captivate players. The debate has involved a number of monster-catching series, and Pocketpair games like Craftopia and Never Grave have also come up.

In response to allegations of plagiarism, Pocketpair CEO and Palworld director Takuro Mizobe has come forward to defend the game’s materials. Mizobe claims that some messages sent to the team have crossed the line, with the game’s artists facing online abuse and even death threats. The conversation surrounding the state of the Pokémon series has been reignited as well.

Palworld has achieved an impressive milestone, selling over five million copies globally within just three days. Additionally, the game has garnered a “very positive” rating on Steam, further solidifying its success. Our sister site, Pure Xbox, has provided a detailed review of this game, expressing their immense enjoyment of the experience thus far.