Nintendo took action against a YouTuber named ToastedShoes who created a mod that replaces creatures in Palworld with Pokémon characters. While the game was already being criticized for looking too much like Pokémon, Nintendo was not expected to stand idly by.
Nintendo copyrighted YouTube and X videos of Palworld mod
ToastedShoes shared a video on social media promoting the Pokémon mod for Palworld, claiming that the game already has a Pokémon mod. However, Palworld developer Pocket Pair clarified that the game does not currently support mods, but that mod support is planned for post-launch.
Nintendo immediately filed a lawsuit against the video, causing it to be removed from the platform. ToastedShoes jokingly posted on social media about Nintendo taking action against him, saying “Nintendo came for me, please pray for me”. Despite being taken down, he continued to share the full video of his modified Palworld experience, featuring Pokémon instead of the game’s original creatures.
The video shows various interactions in the Palworld environment, including battles with Pokémon, using them for work, and facing a challenging boss. ToastedShoes added some fashion humor by changing the look of the boss, who looks like Jessie from Team Rocket riding a giant Electabuzz.
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Nintendo is known for strictly protecting its intellectual property and has a history of removing fan-made content. In this case, the company reinforced its stance on protecting intellectual property rights by quickly addressing the Pokémon mod video.
The incident has sparked debate over whether Nintendo should take legal action against Palworld’s developers, especially given accusations that the game’s creature designs infringe on Nintendo’s intellectual property.
While Nintendo hasn’t filed a complaint against Palworld itself at this point, it has drawn attention to the company’s strict approach to protecting its brand and characters. ToastedShoes, which originally intended to release the mod for free, now plans to “tread lightly” in response to the situation.
