Palworld Dev Unveils New Game on Switch Amid Legal Battle

Summary

• Pocketpair released OverDungeon on the Nintendo eShop in a surprise move.
• OverDungeon is a genre-blending action card game with tower defense mechanics.
• Despite an ongoing lawsuit, Pocketpair celebrated OverDungeon's launch with a 50% off sale.

In a surprising turn of events, Palworld developer Pocketpair has launched its 2019 title OverDungeon on the Nintendo eShop. This move comes amidst ongoing legal battles with Nintendo and The Pokemon Company, who have accused Pocketpair of patent infringement related to Palworld.

In September 2024, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company initiated legal action against Pocketpair, claiming that Palworld's Pal Spheres infringe on their creature-capturing system patents. The lawsuit sparked significant controversy within the gaming community. Pocketpair responded by calling the situation "unfortunate" and committed to cooperating with the investigation. Despite the legal challenges, Palworld saw a massive update in December, resulting in a surge of concurrent players on Steam. Now, Pocketpair has made another bold move by launching OverDungeon on the Nintendo eShop.

On January 9, Pocketpair released OverDungeon for Nintendo Switch consoles without any prior announcements. Initially launched on Steam in 2019, OverDungeon combines action card game elements with tower defense and roguelike mechanics, as described on the Nintendo eShop. This marks Pocketpair's first venture onto the Switch platform. To celebrate the launch, OverDungeon is available at a 50% discount until January 24. While Palworld is accessible on PS5 and Xbox, the choice to release OverDungeon on the Nintendo eShop has sparked speculation among social media users, some of whom see it as a strategic response to the ongoing lawsuit with Nintendo.

Pocketpair Launches Its First Nintendo Switch Game Amid Lawsuit

Although Palworld is Pocketpair's most recognized game, it's not the only one drawing comparisons to Nintendo titles. In 2020, Pocketpair released Craftopia, an RPG that bore similarities to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Craftopia continues to receive updates on Steam, with the latest in December. Meanwhile, Pocketpair has remained proactive in promoting Palworld post-lawsuit, announcing a collaboration with Terraria. The initial part of this crossover introduced a new Pal called Meowmeow, with more Terraria-themed content promised throughout 2025.

Since the lawsuit became public, little additional information has been disclosed by the involved parties. Patent experts suggest that the legal battle over Palworld could extend for years without a settlement. Beyond the Terraria collaboration, Pocketpair has hinted at further plans for Palworld in 2025, including potential ports for Mac and mobile devices.