Short answer: Nintendo targeted the public promotional media for an unofficial Palworld conversion featuring recognizable Pokémon in January 2024. A DMCA request removed the preview video, and related social posts were also hit with copyright claims. That evidence does not establish that Nintendo deleted every copy of a released mod or obtained a court order against all downloads.
What Nintendo actually took down
In January 2024, YouTuber and mod creator ToastedShoes published preview footage of a Palworld conversion that inserted recognizable Pokémon characters. Ars Technica reported that Nintendo issued a DMCA takedown against the preview video. WIRED reported Nintendo’s copyright-removal request and additional claims affecting TikTok videos.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Pokémon Pokopia - Nintendo Switch 2 | $69.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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Pokémon Legends: Arceus - US Version | $54.26 | Buy on Amazon |
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Pokemon Shining Pearl - Nintendo Switch Shining Pearl Edition | $52.49 | Buy on Amazon |
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Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! - Nintendo Switch | $53.87 | Buy on Amazon |
The documented action concerns public promotional media and related social content. Available reporting does not prove that Nintendo disabled every locally stored copy of a mod, nor does it establish that every version of the project had been released publicly.
Why the Pokémon content drew enforcement
The Pokémon Company said on January 25, 2024 that it had received inquiries about another company’s game released that month and had not granted permission to use Pokémon intellectual property or assets in it. The company said it intended to investigate and take appropriate measures against acts infringing Pokémon-related intellectual-property rights.
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- Shape the world and build a cozy new life with Pokémon as a Ditto transformed to look like a human.
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- Meet and befriend more Pokémon as you help nature flourish.
- Gather materials to create items and furniture, till the fields to grow delicious crops, build homes for the Pokémon you meet, and more—there’s so much to do!
- Experience a world with varied weather, real-time days and nights, and other surprises.
That statement expresses the rights holder’s position and an intention to investigate; it is not a court finding that Palworld or this particular mod infringed copyright.
How hosting platforms responded
Nexus Mods said it would remove Pokémon-derived Palworld content. The platform described the idea as appealing but said it was not comfortable hosting the material because copyrighted Pokémon characters or assets were “almost certainly going to put us at risk of legal action.”
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- Action meets RPG in this new take on the Pokémon series
- Study Pokémon behaviors, sneak up on them, and toss a well-aimed Poké Ball to catch them
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- Travel to the Hisui region—the Sinnoh of old—and build the region’s first Pokédex
- Learn about the Mythical Pokémon Arceus, the key to this mysterious tale
This was a platform-risk decision, not a judicial ruling. A site can remove files to reduce its own legal exposure even when no court has decided the underlying copyright question.
Was the mod illegal?
No court ruling on the specific Pokémon Palworld mod is established by the reported events. Copyright owners generally control whether their protected characters and assets may be reproduced or distributed, but the legal result can depend on the exact files, distribution method, jurisdiction and defenses available.
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- Revisit the Sinnoh region from the original Pokémon Pearl Version game and set off to try and become the Champion of the Pokémon League
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Video-game attorney Stephen McArthur told WIRED that permission is at the copyright owner’s discretion and that highly visible mods are more likely to attract a DMCA request because rights holders are less likely to overlook them. That is expert commentary, not a judicial determination.
How the January takedown differs from the later lawsuit
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company announced a separate lawsuit against Pocketpair on September 19, 2024. Filed in Tokyo District Court, the case alleges infringement of multiple patent rights and seeks an injunction and damages. It targets the developer and concerns patents, rather than the January copyright removal of mod-related videos.
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- Don the role of a Pokémon Trainer as you travel through Kanto
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- See the world in style by customizing Pikachu and your Trainer with a selection of outfits
- Connect to Pokémon GO* to transfer caught Kanto-region Pokémon, including Alolan and Shiny forms, as well as the newly discovered Pokémon, Meltan, from that game to this one
| Issue | January 2024 mod action | September 2024 Pocketpair lawsuit |
|---|---|---|
| Legal right invoked | Copyright and DMCA removal requests | Patents |
| Primary target | Public preview media and related hosted posts or files | Pocketpair, the Palworld developer |
| Requested outcome | Platform removal of allegedly infringing material | Injunction and damages |
| Date | January 2024 | September 19, 2024 |
These are separate legal tracks. The later patent case should not be described as the court-ordered takedown of the Pokémon mod.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you still download the Pokémon Palworld mod?
There is no reliable, universal answer from the reported evidence. Nexus Mods said it would remove Pokémon-derived files, and the preview video was taken down, but that does not prove that every copy disappeared from private storage, mirrors or other services. Files offered elsewhere may be unauthorized, altered or bundled with malware, so the existence of a surviving download is not evidence that it is legitimate or legally cleared.
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Why the story received so much attention
Palworld’s rapid early success increased the visibility of the conversion. Nintendo Life reported more than eight million Palworld sales in January 2024; that was a contemporary reported figure, not an independently verified first-party sales filing. High visibility can make unofficial use of a famous character roster easier for rights holders to detect and harder to ignore.
What the evidence supports
- Nintendo used a copyright/DMCA process against publicly posted preview media for a Pokémon-themed Palworld conversion.
- Related social-media videos received additional copyright claims, according to reporting from WIRED.
- Nexus Mods removed or planned to remove Pokémon-derived Palworld content because of legal-risk concerns.
- The Pokémon Company said it had granted no permission and would investigate possible infringement.
- The September 2024 patent lawsuit against Pocketpair is a distinct proceeding from the January mod-media takedown.
The careful conclusion is therefore narrower than “Nintendo deleted the Palworld Pokémon mod”: Nintendo’s enforcement removed prominent public media and prompted hosting-platform moderation, while the fate and legal status of every mod copy remain unestablished.
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