The Pal designs in Palworld are being slammed by Pokemon players on social media, who argue they’re too similar to iconic Pokemon.
It didn’t take long for the Pokemon and Palworld fanbases to draw up battle lines and start arguing. Palworld fans are praising the game’s fresh take on the monster-catching & survival genres, while Pokemon fans are complaining about its lack of originality.
This isn’t to say that all Pokemon fans dislike Palworld, as many players enjoy both titles. It’s just that the similarities between both franchises have created animosity and tribalistic behavior, especially with Palworld’s incredible success at launch.
The biggest sticking point with Palworld is whether it plagiarized Pokemon designs, possibly using AI. This has led to Pokemon fans assembling comparisons between the Pals and the Pokemon to see if they’re truly as alike as people say.
Palworld vs Pokemon similarities
A Twitter/X user named Cecilia Fae has created a thread outlining some of the similarities between Pals and Pokemon, some of which are extremely close. These include Pals that look similar to Lucario, Shaymin, Giratina, and Electabuzz.
A few of the more obvious ones include Lycanroc and Gigantamax Eevee, which are almost reskins with a few small tweaks. This is due to the puff of fur around Gigantamax Eevee’s neck and the overall size and shape of Lycanroc.
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There are some Pals with designs that evoke well-known Legendary Pokemon, including Xerneas and Cobalion. We have two crystalline stags and two regal cloudy blue goats spread across two different franchises.
The current question that fans are asking is whether the Palworld devs actually plagiarized Pokemon and whether The Pokemon Company has any grounds for a lawsuit. After all, Palworld is still in Early Access, so there’s time to change designs before it officially launches.
“These are just so blatantly theft… I feel disgusted that people are just playing this uncritically because “oh funny game,” one user wrote, while another said, “Most of them look like fanmade Pokemon fusions.”
“Seeing this makes me so glad I’m not going insane,” another user wrote, “Just some of the pals made me go “why do they look so familiar” bc they were!”
The incredible popularity of Palworld hasn’t been diminished by the controversy, with many people clearly willing to overlook the similarities as it’s just so much fun. It helps that The Pokemon Company has alienated many fans due to the shoddiness of Gen 9, making people hungry for alternatives.
Whether the Pal similarities in Palworld are enough to prompt legal action remains to be seen. The Pokemon Company certainly could choose take the Palworld developers to court, with the potential to destroy the game in the future, should the legal system favor Pikachu’s lawyers.
