The PlayStation 5 release of Palworld, announced at the September 2024 PlayStation State of Play, is experiencing a delay, specifically in Japan. While the game launched globally on PS5, Japanese players are facing an indefinite postponement.
The PS5 launch trailer, featuring Aloy-inspired gear, highlighted the game's worldwide debut. However, a statement from Palworld's Japanese Twitter (X) account revealed the delay, citing an undetermined release date for Japan and apologizing to anticipating players.
The reason for this delay is strongly suspected to be the ongoing legal battle between Nintendo/Pokémon and Palworld developer Pocketpair. Nintendo filed a patent infringement lawsuit in Tokyo, seeking injunctions and damages. A successful injunction could halt Palworld's operations entirely. While Pocketpair hasn't explicitly confirmed the lawsuit as the cause of the delay, the timing and location strongly suggest a connection. The situation remains unresolved, leaving the future of Palworld's Japanese PS5 release uncertain.
