The new Pokémon variants look a lot like friends

An adorable life simulation Pokemon spinoff Pokemon Pokopia recently shared a bunch of new details. Among the new information revealed was the design of several variant Pokémon that will appear in the game, including a pale Peakych and a colorful Smeargur. Two variants of characters in Pokemon Pokopiathe wise Professor Tangrowth and the extremely sleepy Mosslax, have gained the attention of fans due to their resemblance to the pair Palworld's Friends.

Pokémon Pokopia's Professor Tangrowth shares similarities with Palworld's Wumpo

As a cast Popopia is composed entirely of Pokémon, the usual human Pokémon professor is replaced in this series by Professor Tangrowth, a scientific variant of Tangela's evolution. Unlike the normal Tangrowth introduced in the Generation 4 games, the Professor has white vines on his head – presumably representing his age – a thick vine “beard”, cracked glasses and a TM sticking out of his top vine.

Professor Tangrowth's beady eyes, blue-white coloring, and overall body shape have drawn comparisons to Wump, a friend from the game. Palworld. Known as the “Guardian of the Snowy Mountain”, Wumpo is a furry friend found in the tundra region. Palworld players who manage to overcome Wump's aggressive nature can greatly benefit from the creature's help; it functions as a holder and can carry heavy supplies.

Mosslax brings to mind Wumpo Botan

As the comparison between Wumpo and Professor Tangrowth began, a second connection was soon made: this time between Mosslax and the color variant form of Wumpo, Wumpo Botan. Mosslax is a Snorlax that has slept so long that its entire body is covered in green moss and a flower has grown on its head. The shaggy moss, green coloring, and inclusion of a flower head make Mosslax look like Wumpo Botan, a grass elemental variant of Wumpo covered in leaves instead of hair. The Wumpo Botan is significantly more peaceful than the standard Wumpo, meaning that the seemingly cold Mosslax can match both personality and appearance.

Are Palu-like designs in Pokemon Pokopia intentional?

Pokemon fans on social media like Reddit and X were quick to take notice Palworld connection and theorize whether Nintendo or Popopia developer Omega Force acted on purpose, or if the similarities were just a coincidence. Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have previously sued Palworld developer Pocketpair for patent infringement, a dispute that is still ongoing.

The lawsuit forced Pocketpair to make changes Palworldsuch as removing the ability to summon friends by throwing orbs. However, earlier in November, the US Patent and Trademark Office announced that it was re-examining Nintendo's latest patent for capturing and fighting creatures, which could have a significant impact on the future of the lawsuit.

It seems unlikely that Nintendo or The Pokemon Company would deliberately set out to imitate Palworld given the pending legal action against Pocketpair, which means there's a good chance the design similarities are coincidence. But some fans are suspicious – one Reddit user said: “I'm sure it's Pokemon be cruel to palworld,” while user X @NODEBEEFYOUTUBE wrote: “This is 100% a knock on Palworld's Wumpo.” A thread in the r/Palworld Reddit community has several comments suggesting that Pocketpair sue Nintendo, The Pokemon Company, or Omega Force in retaliation.

At the time of writing, neither Pocketpair nor official Palworld Social media accounts have commented on the alleged similarities. It has also not been confirmed whether similar proposals will have any effect on the ongoing dispute between the companies. Pokemon Pokopia is currently scheduled to launch on March 5, 2026, and it's certainly possible that the situation could evolve further by then. It's also possible that more variants of Pokemon designs will be revealed for the game, potentially more Palworld similarities, whether intentional or accidental.