Palworld dev says a Dark Souls 3 mod invalidates Nintendo's Pokeball patent, Nintendo says mods don't count as real games, and an expert worries prior art precedents could see a modder's work "used against them"

Palworld.

Nintendo's lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair is still ongoing and unlikely to be resolved anytime soon, but a new look at the case files suggests a pretty striking stance from the Nintendo legal team: in essence, they're arguing that mods don't count as real games.

In 2021, shortly before the release of Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Nintendo filed a patent on Pokemon-style creature collecting mechanics. In 2024, after Palworld launched to wild success, the company registered a series of divisional patents under the previous patent's umbrella, describing more particular parts of the Pokeball mechanic.