Nintendo vs Palworld lawsuit: the October 1 hearing
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On October first, the Tokyo District Court will hold a technical hearing on evidence in the case Nintendo and The Pokémon Company brought against Pocketpair, the studio behind Palworld. Per Video Games Chronicle and Automaton, this is one of the last procedural steps before the court forms a preliminary opinion on a lawsuit that has already been narrowed down to old versions of the game.
What actually happens at the October first hearing
Video Games Chronicle describes the October first event specifically as a hearing on technical evidence, not a session where a verdict gets announced. At this stage, the parties and the court work through the technical substance of the claims — specifically, whether Palworld’s mechanics genuinely match what the plaintiffs’ patents describe. The next marker on the case’s calendar is the court’s preliminary opinion, expected November ninth of the same year. Even that is not a final ruling: a preliminary opinion is an interim step the court can still adjust before issuing a final verdict. Neither outlet names a date for when the actual final decision should be expected.
The three patents behind the lawsuit
Per Automaton, three patents underpin the Nintendo and The Pokémon Company lawsuit: JP 7545191, JP 7493117, and JP 7528390. The suit, filed by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company in September two thousand twenty-four, was from the start about patent claims tied to Palworld’s creature-catching mechanics. Neither outlet we rely on provides a detailed technical breakdown of what each of the three patents covers individually, so we limit ourselves to what the sources actually confirm: the bare fact that the lawsuit centers on these three patent numbers.
Why the lawsuit barely threatens the game
It helps to separate two questions here: is the legal process still ongoing, and does it get in the way of playing Palworld right now. The process — yes, it continues. As for the second question: per Automaton, the claims have been narrowed for over a year now to only cover versions of the game that predate patches v0.3.11 and v0.5.5. The first of those patches came out in November two thousand twenty-four and removed the Pal Sphere summon mechanic; the second, in May two thousand twenty-five, changed the flight system. Automaton frames both updates as preventive moves by Pocketpair, made before the evidentiary phase of the case even began.
That means any version of Palworld people are playing today formally sits outside the narrowed claims. On top of that, per Video Games Chronicle’s estimate, even the maximum theoretical compensation under the narrowed lawsuit — roughly 5 000 000 yen, or about 30 000 dollars — is a fairly modest sum for a legal dispute of this scale, and it applies only to already-outdated builds of the game. It’s worth being explicit here: this is an analytical read of the confirmed facts about the narrowed scope and the compensation ceiling, not a guarantee from the court or from either outlet that the case will actually end this way.
The realistic ceiling for what Nintendo could win
Going only by what Video Games Chronicle has actually confirmed, the theoretical maximum Nintendo could win under the current, narrowed version of the lawsuit is compensation around 5 000 000 yen. The outlet states this figure explicitly as the estimated upper bound under the present scope of the claims — not an amount the court has already awarded. Neither source reports any demand to block sales or distribution of the current version of Palworld; the reporting describes a purely monetary claim tied to old versions of the game. That doesn’t rule out the court doing something different — it simply means the available reporting doesn’t record such a demand in the case file.
What comes next
November ninth is the closest date worth keeping in mind for anyone following the case: that’s when, per Video Games Chronicle, the court is due to issue its preliminary opinion. But even after that, the final word in the case may not arrive right away — a preliminary opinion traditionally precedes the final ruling rather than substituting for it. We’ll keep watching for official statements from either party or the court and update this piece if confirmed new information emerges.
What this means for players right now
For anyone already playing Palworld, the October first hearing changes nothing right now: the game stays available, and development hasn’t stopped because of the lawsuit. We covered how the lawsuit itself got narrowed in a separate news piece on Nintendo narrowing its claims. For the game’s exit from early access, see our news on the 1.0 launch. And for how Palworld’s update cycles work in general, check the guide to Palworld’s major updates.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly happens at the October first hearing? According to Video Games Chronicle, the Tokyo District Court will hold a technical hearing on evidence — a procedural step, not a verdict announcement.
Which patents is Nintendo’s lawsuit built on? Per Automaton, the case involves three patents held by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company: JP 7545191, JP 7493117, and JP 7528390.
Does the lawsuit cover the version of Palworld people play today? No. Automaton reports that in November two thousand twenty-five, the claims were narrowed to only cover versions of the game that predate patches v0.3.11 and v0.5.5.
What is the maximum Nintendo could realistically win? Per Video Games Chronicle’s estimate, under the narrowed claims the compensation ceiling is roughly 5 000 000 yen, or about 30 000 dollars.
When will the court’s final ruling be known? Video Games Chronicle only reports the date of the court’s preliminary opinion — November ninth, two thousand twenty-six; neither outlet gives a date for a final verdict.
Could Palworld get pulled from sale over this lawsuit? Available sources report no such demand: per Automaton, the game keeps receiving updates without restriction, and the narrowed claims apply only to old versions.
The short version
On October first, the Tokyo District Court will hold a technical hearing on evidence in the case Nintendo and The Pokémon Company brought against Pocketpair, with the court’s preliminary opinion expected November ninth. Per Automaton, the lawsuit rests on three patents — JP 7545191, JP 7493117, and JP 7528390 — and has been narrowed for over a year now to only cover versions of Palworld that predate patches v0.3.11 and v0.5.5. Per Video Games Chronicle’s estimate, the maximum theoretical compensation under this narrowed lawsuit is roughly 5 000 000 yen, or about 30 000 dollars, and it applies exclusively to old builds of the game. No source reports any demand to ban the current version of Palworld, so for players right now, practically nothing changes.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly happens at the October first hearing?
According to Video Games Chronicle, the Tokyo District Court will hold a technical hearing on evidence — a procedural step, not a verdict announcement.
Which patents is Nintendo's lawsuit built on?
Per Automaton, the case involves three patents held by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company: JP 7545191, JP 7493117, and JP 7528390.
Does the lawsuit cover the version of Palworld people play today?
No. Automaton reports that in November two thousand twenty-five, the claims were narrowed to only cover versions of the game that predate patches v0.3.11 and v0.5.5.
What is the maximum Nintendo could realistically win?
Per Video Games Chronicle's estimate, under the narrowed claims the compensation ceiling is roughly 5 000 000 yen, or about 30 000 dollars.
When will the court's final ruling be known?
Video Games Chronicle only reports the date of the court's preliminary opinion — November ninth, two thousand twenty-six; neither outlet gives a date for a final verdict.
Could Palworld get pulled from sale over this lawsuit?
Available sources report no such demand: per Automaton, the game keeps receiving updates without restriction, and the narrowed claims apply only to old versions.