CEO of Palworld dev says he's seen death threats, asks people not to slander the artists working on the game

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Takuro Mizobe previously dismissed comments comparing Palworld and Pokemon

Palworld
(Image credit: Pocketpair)

The CEO of Palworld developer Pocketpair has stated that the game's artists have received death threats, and has asked that people stop directing messages towards studio staff.

Takuro Mizobe, CEO of Pocketpair, put out the tweet just below earlier today, January 22. Mizobe's tweet firstly reveals that artists working on Palworld have received "slanderous" messages and comments about their work, some of which include death threats via Twitter.

This all follows after Mizobe dismissed concerns about Palworld's similarities to Pokemon. "We have absolutely no intention of infringing upon the intellectual property of other companies," Mizobe wrote on Twitter, attempting to dispel similarities between the two.

Much has been made of Palworld's similarities to Pokemon. Even before Pocketpair's game launched in early access last week, it had already been dubbed 'Pokemon with guns' by social media users, and now that the multiplayer game has launched, people are drawing direct comparisons between Palworld's creatures and Pokemon.

Twitter users have drawn comparisons between dozens of creatures in Palworld and the Pokemon series. Developers have even weighed in on the debate, with Moonglow Bay director Zack Soares writing that "the fact that Palworld has similarities isn't due to some lack of creativity, but entirely due to intent to stir controversy and marketing."

If you're currently playing through Pocketpair's game yourself, you can read up on our Palworld type chart guide for a full look at the different elemental weaknesses.

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.