Palworld explodes with 3M sales in 40 hours amidst copycat scandal

Palworld, a game often described as "Pokemon with guns," has soared in sales, hitting 3 million copies within 40 hours of its release, as reported on its official Twitter account. Although available on Game Pass, its sales momentum is notable, surpassing one million sales in just eight hours post-launch. Steam users also flocked to the title, ranking it as the sixth highest played game in platform's history, based on concurrent player counts, ahead of notable titles like Elden Ring and Baldur's Gate 3. However, the game's booming popularity has been shadowed by allegations of plagiarism, focusing on similarities between Palworld's creatures and the ones from the iconic Pokemon series. Both share creature collecting mechanics, but Palworld diverges in genre, aligning more with survival gameplay than Pokemon's traditional RPG style. Even though there is a clear resemblance in creature designs to Pokemon, developer Pocketpair's intention remains unconfirmed. Pocketpair has previously drawn inspiration from other games, as seen in their past title, Craftopia, and their upcoming title, Never Grave. Palworld is currently accessible on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S through Game Pass.

No, there has been no official accusation of plagiarism from Pokemon's creators against Palworld; the allegations are primarily coming from players and observers within the gaming community.

Background on Palworld: Palworld is developed by Pocketpair and is recognized for blending creature-collecting elements with survival and action gameplay. It presents a distinct twist on the familiar format by introducing more mature themes and the controversial inclusion of firearms for creatures. This game follows Pocketpair's pattern of taking inspiration from other successful titles, and with its latest achievement in sales, it further solidifies the company's impact on the indie game market. However, the discussion around its creative originality continues to be a prominent conversation within the gaming community.