Nintendo secures patent for in-game characters that can summon others for battle

Nintendo recently obtained a patent for a gameplay feature that allows a character within a game to call upon another supporting character for battle assistance.

According to Games Fray, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued Nintendo the patent numbered 12,403,397 as of September 2, 2025. This patent application, filed in March 2023, was approved without opposition, even though similar mechanics have been featured in previous games both by Nintendo and other companies.

Consequently, video games featuring mechanics similar to the described elements could potentially violate Nintendo's copyright.

1. A computing device such as a PC or console runs the game from storage media.
2. Players are able to control a character within a digital environment.
3. A secondary character or "sub character" can be summoned by the player, which might include creatures like Pokémon.
4. The process includes branching paths, with points 4 and 5 outlining different scenarios before merging again at point 6.
5. The scenario involves summoning the "sub character" to face another character in battle.
6. An alternative involves placing the "sub character" in a location without an immediate opponent.
7. Lastly, the "sub character" engages in an automatic battle, although its necessity is uncertain if the battle was initiated in point 4.

Games Fray highlights the potential impact on the industry, suggesting other developers might seek patents for similar gameplay mechanics.

"The ‘397 patent poses a considerable challenge to innovation in the gaming sector," the report explains, noting its implications reach far beyond specific disputes like the Palworld case, affecting numerous existing and future games featuring similar functionalities."

Previously, it was reported that Nintendo secured a $2 million judgment and injunction against a modder they sued last July, accusing them of copyright infringement using "circumvention devices."