Overview

• The USPTO granted patent No. 12,403,397 on September 2, covering systems where a player summons a “sub character” that can fight an enemy automatically or under player input.
• The claims hinge on a specific sequence that includes player movement, a summon action, branching behavior depending on enemy presence, and later-directed automatic combat.
• Nintendo also received patent No. 12,409,387 for smooth switching of riding objects, a mechanic Pocketpair has already altered in Palworld.
• IP attorneys, including Kirk Sigmon, say the quick, largely uncontested approval was highly unusual and legally questionable, while former Pokémon Company counsel Don McGowan doubts the patent’s enforceability.
• Observers warn the patent could deter rivals even without litigation, as Nintendo and The Pokémon Company continue separate infringement claims against Palworld in Japan and Pocketpair maintains its defense after gameplay changes.