Within the days since its Steam reveal, PocketGame’s first-ever non-mobile title, Pickmon, has stirred up numerous controversy. Described on Steam as a “multiplayer open-world survival crafter” through which gamers workforce up with their Pickmon to “struggle, farm, and construct industrial empires whereas thwarting a shadowy group’s plot,” it is not laborious to see why so many of us are calling it a Pokemon rip-off.
The factor is, it is not only a Pokemon rip-off. It is also a Breath of the Wild rip-off and a rip-off of the pre-existing Pokemon-like Palworld, which additionally confronted accusations of being a Pokemon clone when it launched in 2024. Pickmon’s Steam description is nearly similar to Palworld’s description, which reads, “Battle, farm, construct and work alongside mysterious creatures known as ‘Buddies’ on this utterly new multiplayer, open-world survival and crafting recreation.”
A nearer take a look at the sport’s trailer reveals the sheer degree of shameless copycatting for all to see.
Throughout the first two seconds of the trailer, viewers’ ears are met with a lightweight, Breath of the Wild-esque piano tune that may solely be described as “Food regimen Manaka Kataoka.” It is not almost pretty much as good as Kataoka’s phenomenal soundtrack, in fact, but it surely’s simply related sufficient to evoke Breath of the Wild vibes.
Shortly after the knock-off Zelda music kicks off, developer PocketGame’s emblem seems on the display screen. Palworld–the “Pokemon however with weapons” recreation that took the web by storm when it launched in 2024–is developed by Pocketpair. PocketGame seems to have taken inspiration from Pocketpair’s studio identify, but it surely did not cease there.
Because the Pickmon trailer unfolds, the knock-off Breath of The Wild music continues to play as a blonde player-character who seems suspiciously like Hyperlink jumps off a cliff holding onto a glider, flying over a panorama that appears remarkably much like The Nice Plateau beginning space in Breath of the Wild. Pickmon is not simply copying Pokemon’s homework: It is ripping off Breath of the Wild and Palworld, too.
Whereas Palworld is clearly impressed by Pokemon (and developer Pocketpair has been sued by Nintendo claiming copyright and patent infringement), the sport would not steal off character designs wholesale, and its constructive reception has made it clear the studio is not in search of a low-effort payday. Pocketpair has sworn off utilizing generative AI in its video games, is at present engaged on a Palworld cozy recreation, and has repeatedly compromised on in-game mechanics like gliding to appease Nintendo. Moreover, Palworld has one thing Pokemon would not: a complete lot of weapons.
Because the Pickmon trailer continues, it quickly turns into clear that Pickmon, too, options a complete lot of weapons. If something, Pickmon is copying Palworld’s homework as a lot because it’s copying Pokemon’s. Within the trailer, Greenback Retailer Hyperlink makes his means via the world of Pickmon, accompanied by a “Pickmon” that is very clearly meant to be a Pikachu lookalike. The pair encounter numerous armed enemies, together with a Pickmon who seems to have a target-seeking rocket launcher strapped to its again. One clip reveals off a personality driving a Pickmon motorbike, which transforms into what seems to be a bug-type Pickmon when she dismounts. The similarity between this Pickmon and rideable Pokemon like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Miraidon and Koraidon is placing.
Because of the glider proven originally of the trailer and a clip of Pickmon’s Hyperlink-alike catching Pickmon by throwing playing cards slightly than Poke Ball-like orbs, one may suppose that PocketGame is preemptively attempting to keep away from any authorized points that will trigger Nintendo’s attorneys to return knocking. A massive a part of Palworld’s authorized hassle with Nintendo revolved across the means for gamers to make use of Buddies to fly (therefore Palworld later implementing the glider). But from the seems of it, in Pickmon, gamers can fly through a glider or through a captured Pickmon–around 25 seconds into the trailer, Undoubtedly Not Hyperlink may be seen hitching a journey with a bird-like Pickmon, which flies him previous a big tower that is blasting a beam of sunshine into the sky. These towers look fairly much like the Sheikah Towers gamers should climb to unlock elements of the map in Breath of the Wild. It is also value noting that, clearly, Pickmon’s flying/gliding mechanics are wildly much like these of Breath of the Wild, through which Hyperlink typically makes use of a glider to get round Hyrule.
It seems that gamers can customise their very own avatars in Pickmon, so it is seemingly that utilizing Nice Worth Hyperlink for the trailer was a strategic option to get Zelda followers engaged (or piss them off), slightly than a declaration that this bizarre Hyperlink knock-off shall be featured in-game. What shall be featured in-game, nevertheless, is allegedly stolen Pokemon fanart.
“Pickmon stole considered one of my designs!” an artist who goes by Elpsy posted on X, sharing photos of her design for a fictional bug/fairy-type Pokemon she named Meganium. “They did not even attempt to change one thing and make it much less apparent.”
Elpsy’s creature design is featured prominently in Pickmon’s key artwork, and different “fakemon” fan artists have recently presented apparent proof that Pickmon options their fictional Pokemon designs, used with out credit score or permission.
The identify “Pickmon” additionally sounds fairly much like one other Nintendo IP: Pikmin. Whether or not it is intentional or not, one factor appears clear: Not like Pocketpair, PocketGame would not seem like desirous about creating a novel, polished recreation that occurs to be impressed by Pokemon. It appears much more desirous about ripping off a few of Nintendo’s best-selling franchises and rage-baiting Pokemon, Zelda, and Palworld followers into giving the sport a attempt.
Amusingly, on the very end of the Pickmon trailer, the PocketGame emblem reappears, this time misspelled as “PokeGame.”