Nintendo's new patent application may target Palworld Mobile

Nintendo is trying to get a touchscreen patent from the same family that is featured in its ongoing patent lawsuit Palworld the developer of Pocketpair. While the patent could potentially strengthen the company's case by extending its infringement claims to the upcoming mobile version PalworldNintendo has so far struggled to get his approval.

The ongoing lawsuit, filed in September 2024, centers on allegations by Nintendo and The Pokemon Company that Palworld infringes several of their jointly held patents relating to game systems for capturing creatures and switching on mounts. Pocketpair has already changed some Palworld mechanics in response to the lawsuit through a mid-2025 update for its hit open-world survival game. Even so, the case remains active and Nintendo continues to file records around the patent families associated with the dispute.

Nintendo reports huge lawsuit losses as Palworld trial continues

As Nintendo's Palworld lawsuit continues, the company's latest financial report reveals massive litigation losses for fiscal 2026.

Nintendo Eyeing Another Potential Anti-Palworld Patent

In this effort, Nintendo recently sought a touchscreen-focused patent (2026-019762) covering a monster-capturing game system in which players control movement using touch input, deploy captured items against characters on and off the field in battle, and then receive a success or failure decision. Patent analyst Florian Mueller said that if the application is approved, it could theoretically be useful for several current and upcoming games, including a mobile version developed by Krafton. Palworld and Tencent's Kingdom of Roco: World. The latter has recently been making waves in China, surpassing 15 million players per day in March 2026, but has yet to have an international release.

Potential legal applications notwithstanding, Nintendo has yet to push patent 2026-019762 over the finish line. The Japanese Patent Office recently rejected its claims again after the company had already amended the application in February 2026. This re-rejection appears to be more than a normal delay, with the case examiner noting that the application lacked an inventive step, meaning it failed to differentiate itself sufficiently from already known game concepts and earlier public material. The basic elements of submission – touch-screen controls, the use of out-of-battle capture items, and success or failure checks to determine whether a creature was acquired – were all seen as an obvious mash-up of established ideas rather than a patent-worthy new invention.

Cattiva vs Pikachu Palworld vs Pokemon fight on red background with faint crt lines — Composite image featuring Cattiva by *Palworld* and Pikachu from *Pokemon* clash on red background. Faint CRT-like lines were added to the image using the color burn blending mode.

Nintendo may revise its request again in response to a second rejection. It is not clear whether the company plans to do so. Another Nintendo patent for capturing creatures from the same family was also rejected for lack of originality in late 2025, although the company eventually won approval for a narrower version in February 2026. A similar approach could be used in this case.

Guess the emoji games.

Easy (120s) Medium (90s) Hard (60s)

Would Nintendo actually try to use this patent to bolster theirs Palworld the claim, assuming it can be secured, remains vague but plausible. The company modified one of its anti-Palworld patents in July 2025 while the case was already pending, so trying to add more related rights during ongoing litigation would be consistent with its recent approach. Such moves are likely to further slow down the lawsuit, which is particularly notable given that there are currently no clear signs that Pocketpair and Nintendo are any closer to a settlement than they were a year ago.