The lawsuit, filed in the Tokyo District Court on Wednesday, seeks an injunction and compensation for damages, claiming that "Palworld" infringes upon multiple patent rights held by Nintendo and Pokemon.
"Palworld," which features creatures resembling Pokemon characters alongside armed player avatars, has gained significant traction since its prototype release in January, selling over 5 million copies in its first three days.
Nintendo, known for vigorously protecting its intellectual property, said that it would, "take necessary actions against any infringement of its intellectual property rights" to protect what it has "worked hard to establish over the years."
Pocketpair, the Japan-based studio behind "Palworld," has not yet responded to requests for comment on the legal action. The game, still in development, is available as an "early access version" on the Steam platform for $29.99 in the United States.
