A new report has revealed that Nintendo has acquired a third anti-Palworld patent, and a fourth one is almost about to be granted.
According to a report by GamesFray, Nintendo now has three anti-Palworld patents—the first two mentioned in an earlier report. The latest one, 12,246,255, was granted on March 11, 2025. It concerns smooth switching between flying and land traversal objects. Also, Nintendo’s request to interview the patent examiner was approved, and it seems a fourth patent will be granted soon.
What do Nintendo’s Anti-Palworld Patents Mean for Pocketpair
Nintendo will soon have four anti-Palworld patents in the United States, which could mean a lawsuit could be filed against Pocketpair soon. The latest approved patent was initially filled in September 2022, but Nintendo has made amendments to it over the years, even after Palworld’s launch.
Nintendo’s interview with the USPTO examiner was successful. Out of the 23 patent claims, Nintendo has been able to add additional requirements to independent and dependent claims. It has dropped two claims and made limited changes to a claim. Moreover, Nintendo and the Pokemon Company have added a 24th claim, which talks about interacting with a character that a player either battles with or captures.
GamesFray believes it is “fairly likely” that Nintendo and The Pokemon Company will file a patent infringement complaint in the US. However, it is not certain, and depending on how things go in Japan, there’s always a chance that the lawsuit will never come.
In other news, Pocketpair’s CEO came ‘under attack in Japan every day’ when Palworld was released. Also, the game could be released on the Switch 2 if the console is ‘beefy enough’. What are your thoughts on Nintendo acquiring more anti-Palworld patents? Let us know in the comments or on our community forum!
For more information from GPlayr, read about Nintendo delaying Switch 2 pre-orders in the US. Don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter.