Steam’s latest sensation Palworld, created by Japanese studio Pocketpair, has drawn accusations of plagiarizing designs from the iconic Pokémon series. The game, released in early access on PC and Xbox, made waves by selling 2 million copies in just 24 hours. However, social media users quickly pointed out the striking resemblance of Palworld’s characters to Pokémon, reigniting controversy around the game.
The controversy surrounding Palworld’s character designs is further complicated by Pocketpair’s history with generative AI tools. The company’s previous title, ‘AI: Art Imposter,’ utilized an AI image generator as its core mechanic. CEO Takuro Mizobe has also made posts praising the potential of AI image generators for content creation and even discussed using AI to generate new Pokémon designs. The use of AI has become a contentious issue in creative industries, and the accusations against Pocketpair only serve to intensify the debate.
Despite the controversy, Palworld has garnered positive reviews on platforms like Steam. The allegations of plagiarism and Pocketpair’s history with AI tools raise questions about the origins of the game’s character designs. These latest developments highlight the potential ethical and legal implications associated with AI-generated content and the necessity for clear regulations regarding its use.