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Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have recently been granted a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a unique mechanic that allows players to summon characters to battle enemies by throwing a ball. This patent, numbered 12,403,397, was issued on September 2, 2025, without any objections, as reported by GamesFray. The application for this patent was filed back in March 2023.

In addition to this, Nintendo received another patent, numbered 12,409,387, which pertains to a mechanism that facilitates the “smooth switch or riding of objects.” This development is particularly significant as Nintendo and The Pokemon Company are currently engaged in legal action against Pocketpair, the developer of Palworld, over allegations of patent infringement related to gameplay mechanics involving the collection and riding of characters.

It’s crucial to highlight that with this new patent, Nintendo now has the ability to take legal action against any developers it suspects of infringing on its patents, not just Pocketpair. Patent ‘397 outlines, in somewhat complex terms, battle mechanics that will be familiar to many Pokemon players, and includes several explanatory graphics, such as the one featured in our header image.

In response to the ongoing legal situation, Pocketpair made adjustments to certain mechanics in Palworld back in May. For instance, the ability to summon ‘Pals’ using ‘Pal Spheres’ has been modified to a static summon to avoid further disruptions in the game’s development. While Pocketpair did not specifically mention Nintendo in their announcement, they acknowledged having to make certain “compromises” following the lawsuit.

In their statement, Pocketpair noted, “Currently, we remain involved in prolonged legal proceedings regarding alleged patent infringement. We continue to dispute these claims and assert the invalidity of the patents in question. However, we have had to make certain compromises in order to avoid disruptions to the development and distribution of Palworld.”

Update: This article has been updated to clarify that the summoning mechanic patented by Nintendo focuses on players throwing a ball to capture and deploy characters, similar to the mechanics seen in Pokémon.

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