Pocketpair still wants Palworld on Switch 2 despite Nintendo lawsuit

Pocketpair CEO Takuru Mizobe told VGC on Oct. 27, 2026, that the studio wants to bring Palworld to Nintendo’s Switch 2 console while its patent lawsuit with Nintendo continues. Mizobe said Pocketpair would love to have conversations with Nintendo about bringing Palworld to the Switch platform if the opportunity arises. “First of all, I should say that we think the Switch 2 is a really amazing platform,” Mizobe said.

Nintendo filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Pocketpair in September 2024, alleging that Palworld’s mechanics infringe patents related to Pokémon games, with The Pokémon Company also a litigating party. The complaint specifically cited similarities between Pal Spheres and Poke Balls. The case is active in the Tokyo District Court, which will disclose a preliminary view on Nov. 9, 2026. When VGC asked Mizobe about the lawsuit, he declined to answer because the litigation is ongoing.

In 2024, Mizobe said the original Switch could not handle Palworld due to hardware limitations. In March 2025, Pocketpair communications director John Buckley told IGN that the game was too demanding for the original Switch, though a Switch 2 version was 100% worth considering once the specs became known. Now that Switch 2 specifications are public, its technical limitations are no longer seen as a barrier to running Palworld. The console often outperforms Xbox Series S thanks to Nvidia’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) technology, minimizing the gap with a true next‑gen system.

Pocketpair has altered Palworld to create distance from Pokémon because of the legal dispute. In Early Access patch v0.3.11, the studio removed the creature‑summoning throw; now a Pal appears beside the player holding the sphere. Nintendo narrowed the lawsuit in November 2025 to cover older builds after Pocketpair patched out contested mechanics such as throwing a Pal Sphere and Pal‑based gliding. The Japanese Patent Office denied Nintendo’s patent filing for creature‑capture mechanics in October 2025, a matter separate from the lawsuit.

Palworld has sold more than 30 million copies since its 2024 release. The game’s total player count exceeds 40 million, and its July 1.0 update attracted nearly 1 million concurrent players on Steam. For two years since its debut, Pocketpair has released regular updates that add new Pals, places, and enemies.

Palworld launched on Xbox consoles and arrived on PS5 in September 2024, leaving Switch 2 as the only current console without a version. Since the game’s early access launch in 2024, many Nintendo users have lobbied Pocketpair to bring it to Switch hardware.

Pocketpair confirmed it is developing spin‑offs including the farming sim Palfarm and a mobile‑exclusive version called Palworld Online. In July 2026, Pocketpair teamed with Bushiroad to release the Palworld Official Card Game; the Dawn of Palpagos set sold out quickly and resellers targeted it. The studio announced that Palworld Version 1.1, titled Side by Side, will release in Winter 2026 and will let players join forces with Tower Bosses. Mizobe said the studio aims to keep Palworld going without making it a live‑service game.

IP experts have suggested Nintendo could receive just $30,000 if it prevails, while a loss for Nintendo appears increasingly likely, IGN reported on Oct. 28, 2026. Nintendo cut back what it was seeking from Pocketpair in June 2026 as the dispute’s scope shifted repeatedly over more than two years, GameRant said.

TweakTown said releasing Palworld on Switch 2 seems unlikely while the legal battle continues because publishing on a platform requires cooperation with the platform holder. ComicBook.com reports that Nintendo could block Palworld from Switch 2, viewing it as a competitor to Pokémon and Pocketpair as opposed.