Summary
The recent release ofPalworldon PlayStation 5 in 68 countries across the globe has skipped over Japan. While no official reason has been given for the Japanese region’s exclusion, it could be tied toPalworlddeveloper Pocketpair’s ongoing legal battles with Nintendo.
Although the monster-catching, survival crafting game is still technically in its Early Access period, it first became available simultaneously for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC in January. Though its player counts have dropped off significantly since that time,Palworldhit ridiculous sales milestonesearly on, pushing out more than 7 million copies in its first five days of availability. Relying on elements of the monster-catching genre of games, it also places players in an open world and tasks them with collecting resources to craft their own bases, similar to games likeThe ForestandARK Survival.
Palworldshadow-dropped for PlayStation 5on September 24, with the announcement of its arrival on the console coming during the State of Play showcase. While the arrival ofPalworldon PS5 opens the door for players in 68 countries and regions around the world, the Japanese release has been delayed to a later date, according to a post made by the game’s Japanese Twitter account. In that post, Pocketpair apologizes to its fans in Japan and states that it still plans to release the game there on PlayStation 5 “as soon as possible.” However, nowhere does it state the reason for the delay.
Palworld PS5 Launch Delayed in Japan for Unknown Reasons
While Pocketpair is keeping mum about the reasons for the delay, there seems to be a good chance that it is tied toNintendo’s lawsuit regardingPalworld. Nintendo and The Pokemon Company filed a lawsuit in Japan against Pocketpair on September 18 over infringement of patent rights. WhilePalworldcontains several gameplay and design elements that make it markedly distinct from thePokemonfranchise, some have speculated that the infringement may have to do with the tossing of Pal Spheres to catch Pals, the game’s various monster species, with comparisons stating the gameplay is similar to the one presented by tossing Poke Balls in games likePokemon Legends: Arceus.
Many fans of bothPalworldandPokemonhave predicted the lawsuit coming for a long time. Even before its release, the gaming community had givenPalworldthe moniker “Pokemonwith guns.” Less than a week after its Early Access release,The Pokemon Company issued a statementaboutPalworld, saying the company would “investigate and take appropriate measures” in relation to any potential infringement against thePokemonfranchise’s intellectual properties.
Palworld
WHERE TO PLAY
In this game, you can peacefully live alongside mysterious creatures known as Pals or risk your life to drive off a ruthless poaching syndicate. Pals can be used to fight and breed, or they can be made to work on farms or factories. You can even sell them or eat them.Survival: In a harsh environment where food is scarce and vicious poachers roam, danger waits around every corner. To survive, you must tread carefully and make difficult choices…even if that means eating your own Pals when the time comes.Mounts & Exploration: Pals can be mounted to traverse the land, sea and sky—allowing you to traverse all kinds of environment as you explore the world.Collect all kinds of exciting Pals to fight, farm, build, and work for you in this completely new multiplayer, open world survival and crafting game!
