Palworld's Success Amidst Pokémon Plagiarism Controversy

Despite allegations of plagiarism and the use of generative AI, Palworld achieves record-breaking success on Steam.

Palworld, a game developed by Japanese studio Pocketpair, has been accused of plagiarising Pokémon due to the striking similarities between the creatures in both games.
Despite the controversy, Palworld has achieved record-breaking success on Steam, with over six million copies sold and 1.8 million concurrent players, making it the second-highest recorded concurrent player count in Steam history.
CEO of Pocketpair, Takuro Mizobe, has denied allegations of using generative AI technology for designing the game, despite his previous admiration for such tools and their use in the studio's earlier game, 'AI: Art Impostor'.
Palworld's unique approach to the genre, which includes a more violent world and the use of guns, has led to divided opinions among fans.
The controversy has sparked a broader debate about the intersection of creativity, AI, and plagiarism in the gaming industry, with the EU moving to regulate generative AI and Valve updating rules for disclosing AI-generated assets on Steam.