Pickmon: A New Contender or a Familiar Copy?

Nintendo’s legal battles against Pokémon imitators, particularly following the Palworld controversy, haven’t entirely deterred developers. Enter Pickmon, a newly revealed title that’s drawing significant attention – and not necessarily for the right reasons. This game appears to be a direct blend of Pokémon and Palworld, featuring monster designs that aren’t just inspired by the genre, they seem to reside squarely within its established territory.

What is Pickmon?

Pickmon stars a protagonist strikingly reminiscent of Link from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, accompanied by a companion creature that bears a *very* strong resemblance to Pikachu. Like Palworld, monsters in Pickmon wield firearms, and the game features creatures that are almost indistinguishable from iconic Pokémon. The trailer and key art showcase clear inspirations from Pokémon like Ceruledge, Charizard, Meganium, Lucario, and Cobalion, alongside designs echoing Palworld’s own creations.

But the similarities don’t stop there. Observers have also noted characters resembling Roadhog from Overwatch and even the beloved cow from the Story of Seasons series. The one key difference? Monsters aren’t captured in Poké Balls, but rather through collectible cards.

Seeking Early Access & Summer Game Fest Attention

The developers are actively seeking streamers and content creators to participate in an early access “experience” before the game’s public launch in 2027. Pickmon is listed on Steam, developed by PocketGame (their only title on the platform) and published by NETWORKGO, who previously worked on Hainya World.

Interestingly, the debut trailer is labelled as a “Summer Game Fest 2026” reveal, despite the event being months away and host Geoff Keighley having made no announcements regarding the game. Given Summer Game Fest’s previous platforming of Palworld, however, it wouldn’t be entirely surprising to see Pickmon featured.

We’ve reached out to Summer Game Fest for comment and will update this article as more information becomes available.

The Bigger Picture: Inspiration vs. Imitation

The emergence of Pickmon raises familiar questions about the line between inspiration and imitation in game development. While drawing inspiration from successful franchises is common, the degree to which Pickmon borrows from Pokémon and Palworld is sparking debate within the gaming community. Will Nintendo take legal action? Only time will tell.

Stay tuned for further updates on Pickmon and its potential impact on the monster-taming genre.

Further Reading:

• The Verge – For tech and gaming news.
• IGN – A leading source for game reviews and previews.
• Kotaku – Gaming news, culture, and commentary.