Overview

• U.S. Patent No. 12,403,397, granted on September 2, covers a gameplay flow where a player moves a main character, summons a “sub character,” and that summoned character engages enemies automatically or via input.
• Another grant, U.S. Patent No. 12,409,387 issued this week, addresses smooth switching between riding or mounted objects, a feature Pocketpair previously worked around in Palworld.
• Reporters note the summoning patent’s unusually broad language and say it could be asserted against many games that use common companion or minion-combat systems.
• The Pokémon Company’s patent-infringement lawsuit against Pocketpair continues in Japan, where Pocketpair is presenting prior art and has already adjusted some mechanics during development.
• It remains unclear whether Nintendo will bring U.S. cases using these patents, but coverage warns the filings alone could deter smaller studios from implementing similar mechanics.