Nintendo Might Have a New Legal Challenge with This Zelda-Pokémon Clone

If there was ever a prime opportunity to drop a budget-friendly mashup featuring Nintendo’s iconic franchises onto gaming platforms, it’s now, as the Japanese gaming titan prepares to face off against the U.S. government in court over tariffs. Perhaps Nintendo’s legal team will be too preoccupied with paperwork to notice a new Pokémon-like survival game that’s creeping onto Steam, inspired by the likes of Breath of the Wild. Maybe…

Introducing Pickmon, a freshly unveiled “multiplayer open-world survival crafter” from developer PocketGame. This studio previously brought us the lesser-known fantasy title Hainya World. For a game that seems to borrow heavily from Nintendo’s beloved properties, it’s bold of PocketGame to release a trailer ahead of any official launch date!

According to its Steam page, Pickmon invites players to “explore a vast, uncharted continent filled with ancient civilizations and mysterious creatures known as ‘Pickmon.’” Players will join forces with these creatures to battle foes, gather resources, cultivate land, and construct what the developers call expansive “industrial empires.” It’s got a bit of that Palworld vibe, too.

The twist, for any Nintendo lawyers tuning in, is that players use cards to tame these beasts. Luckily for PocketGame, Nintendo doesn’t hold the rights to Yu-Gi-Oh.

However, Blizzard Entertainment can lay claim to Roadhog from Overwatch, who makes an unexpected appearance in Pickmon’s reveal trailer.

Historically, Nintendo has been quite strict with projects that tread too close to its intellectual property. The company is currently embroiled in a high-profile legal battle with Pocketpair, the studio behind Palworld, over allegations of copyright infringement. This lawsuit, initiated in November 2024, revolves around patents related to monster-summoning mechanics that are closely associated with Nintendo’s Pokémon franchise. The situation has only grown more complex; in November 2025, shortly after Japanese authorities denied Nintendo’s request to patent certain Pokémon-style monster-capture mechanics, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office took the rare step of re-evaluating one of Nintendo’s previously granted patents.

On another front, Nintendo is also gearing up for a legal showdown with the U.S. government. The company has filed a suit in the United States Court of International Trade, challenging tariffs imposed under executive orders from the previous administration. Nintendo contends that these duties, enacted through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, are unlawful and is seeking refunds with interest on the tariffs it paid as the importer of record for its products.

Despite its reputation for fiercely protecting its intellectual property, Nintendo doesn’t always come out on top: Earlier this year, a grocery store named “Super Mario” in San Ramón, Costa Rica successfully defended its trademark against the gaming giant.

Given Nintendo’s history and its increased vigilance over monster-taming competitors, it’s tough to see Pickmon lasting long in the gaming landscape. So, enjoy the trailer while it’s still around!