The United States Patent Office has denied Nintendo's patent application concerning a feature that allows the summoning of a subcharacter to engage in combat
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has turned down a Nintendo patent related to an in-game function where a character can call upon a sub-character for assistance in combat scenarios.
According to Games Fray, the refusal was made due to "combinations of two or three prior art references" from existing published US patent applications.
The denial of the patent is categorized as non-final, giving Nintendo a window of two months to counter, with opportunities for extension upon appeal.
Nintendo originally filed for the patent in March 2023. Although it received USPTO approval in September 2025, a re-evaluation was announced in November.
Back in September 2024, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company brought a lawsuit against Pocketpair, claiming infringement of "multiple patent rights" in the Tokyo District Court. They pursued legal action asking for an injunction and damages related to Palworld, developed by Pocketpair, for encroaching on multiple patents.
Following the lawsuit, Pocketpair acknowledged the legal matter and pledged to begin legal processes and investigations regarding the infringement allegations, stating they were not informed about which specific patents were violated.
Amid the legal proceedings, Pocketpair revealed that Palworld would exit early access in 2026, while still dealing with lawsuits. These legal issues involve patents concerning monster capturing and mounting.
Last May, Pocketpair addressed a gameplay element, revising user gliding mechanics, and in November 2024, removed a summoning ability involving Pal Spheres.
Pocketpair commented on ongoing legal issues, saying they continue to challenge the validity of the contested patents but have had to make certain adjustments to avoid hindering the development and distribution of Palworld.
In October 2025, a similar rejection occurred when the Japan Patent Office dismissed a Nintendo patent application connected to its capture-and-release game mechanic.