pocketpair / BoggySoftSurvival and monster-taming game Palworld now has an alleged ripoff in the Nintendo eShop amid the legal battle with Nintendo.
When Palworld first released in January 2024, it immediately blew up and smashed player count records across the industry. Sure, it may look similar to Pokémon due to its monster-taming genre, but one of the unique hooks is letting these adorable little critters be trigger-happy, hence often being dubbed as ‘Pokemon with guns.’
Of course, it didn’t take long before Nintendo made the move to sue Palworld’s developers. While it didn’t stop Pocketpair from releasing more content, it made things rockier, as they even had to change a core mechanic.
Fast-forward to now, and it’s safe to say the situation just got more complicated in an ironic way. Fans have now spotted a blatant ripoff of Palworld in the eShop.
There’s now a Palworld ripoff in the Nintendo eShop
As first spotted by NintendoSoup, the ripoff in question is called Palland. It launched on July 31, 2025, and it’s currently on sale at a discounted price of $3.99 in the eShop.
Just looking at the game, you’ll immediately notice that the art style is pretty similar to Palworld. Though one can argue that any 3D game can share a similar style, it’s also the gameplay and description that make it even look more like a blatant ripoff.
The game’s description reads: “Step into the world of Palland, a captivating survival, building, and exploration game where everything starts with a humble base. In a vast and dangerous environment, you decide how to gather resources, expand your shelter, and deal with wild creatures that can be both threats and valuable sources of power.”
If that doesn’t remind you of Palworld instantly, it’s worth knowing that this game also has guns on top of the creatures.
Other than that, some of the creatures also look very similar to certain Pokémon, with clear examples taking after Parasect and Charmander.
Will Nintendo take action on this game as well, considering the similarities? We’ll just have to wait and see.
