Pickmon Draws Immediate Backlash as a New Monster Collector Echoes Palworld, Pokémon and Breath of the Wild
A newly revealed creature collecting game called Pickmon is already being accused of borrowing heavily from both Pokémon and Palworld, with one of the sharper public reactions describing it as a “bootleg of a bootleg.” That line came from X user Noriofan, and it captures the early response surrounding a game that appears to blend familiar monster designs, survival mechanics, and open world systems into a package many players immediately recognized as derivative.
PickMon | Summer Game Fest 2026 Trailer | Pockegame
— PickMon /ピックモン (@PickMon_EN) March 6, 2026
This is the official account of PickMon. #PickMon is a brand new multiplayer monster-collecting game with open-world survival elements! 🧭Open world survival crafting game for up to 32 players! 🔫Gather your weapons and go on… pic.twitter.com/IdR6byINRk
Based on the official store description and the debut trailer, Pickmon is being positioned as a multiplayer open world survival crafting game where players explore a continent filled with creatures called Pickmon, then fight, farm, build, and grow alongside them. The Steam listing describes it as a survival crafter with monster collecting elements, while reposted trailer text says it supports up to 32 players.
What is making the reveal especially controversial is not just the genre overlap, but the visual and structural similarities players believe they are seeing. Early coverage and reactions point to creature designs and companion focused gameplay that strongly evoke Pokémon, while the broader loop of open world survival, base building, and armed exploration invites obvious comparison to Palworld.
The number of asset flips is horrendous.
— NolChannel (@NolChannel11) March 9, 2026
Multiple 1:1 Pals
Literally exactly Ceruledge
Roadhog
Harvest Moon Cows
Stolen fanart
A full FFXIV aetheryte
Discount Pikachu
Palworld's minigun and rocket launcher riggings
And I think not a single custom animation? Code stolen too?
The legal backdrop also makes the timing more explosive. Nintendo officially confirmed in September 2024 that it filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Pocketpair over Palworld, seeking an injunction and damages. Reporting since then has consistently indicated that the case centers on patented gameplay mechanics rather than direct copyright claims over creature art design.
That context matters because Pickmon appears, at least from the currently visible material, to avoid some of the more obvious interaction points that became part of the Nintendo versus Pocketpair dispute. Commentary around the trailer has noted the use of cards rather than orb like capture items, and gliding rather than creature based aerial traversal in the visible footage. That does not mean the game is legally safe, but it does suggest its creators may be aware of where the current legal pressure around Palworld has landed. This is an inference based on the trailer and surrounding discussion, not a confirmed statement from the developer.
For now, the bigger question is not whether Pickmon has attracted attention, because it clearly has. The real question is whether it can survive that attention once scrutiny moves beyond memes and reaction posts. In a market where Nintendo has already shown it is willing to go after monster collecting rivals through patent litigation, any project that looks this close to both Pokémon and Palworld is almost guaranteed to face intense watchfulness from players and industry observers alike.
Do you think Pickmon is just genre inspiration pushed too far, or does it already cross the line into imitation?
