Nintendo’s unexpected lawsuit against Pocketpair over the game Palworld left the developer reeling, prompting them to take drastic security measures for the Tokyo Game Show.

In a recent GDC 2025 discussion, Pocketpair’s global community manager, John Buckley, voiced the studio’s dismay at the announcement. He shared, “It didn’t feel good obviously” and recounted the internal chaos that ensued, emphasizing the frustration as they had conducted legal checks prior to the game’s release, which had cleared them in Japan.

“We did legal checks before Palworld released and they were all cleared in Japan. So obviously when the lawsuit was announced we were like, ‘What?’”
Translation: We had received confirmations that our game was compliant, which made the lawsuit perplexing.

Nintendo’s claims, lodged in September 2024, sought an injunction against Palworld and included a demand for about $33,476 over alleged patent infringements concerning similarities to their iconic PokeBalls. This move took the gaming community by surprise and fundamentally shifted Pocketpair’s operational focus.

Buckley articulated his emotions recalling the day of the announcement: “Pretty much everyone at Pocketpair is a huge fan, so it was a very depressing day, everyone heads down and walking in the rain.”
Translation: The team felt demotivated and distressed.

He pointed out the immediate need for security upon realizing the implications of the lawsuit, especially as they were nearing a release for the PlayStation version of Palworld at the Tokyo Game Show. In light of the situation, Pocketpair issued a statement regarding the lawsuit, calling it “truly unfortunate” to their loyal fans.