US Patent Office rejects Nintendo’s ‘summon subcharacter and let it fight’ patent

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has rejected Nintendo’s patent that involves an in-game character summoning a sub-character to aid it in battle.

As Games Fray reports, the decision was based “on combinations of two or three prior art references in the form of published US patent applications.”

The USPTO’s rejection is non-final. Nintendo has two months to respond, with the option to extend if it appeals.

Nintendo submitted its summoning patent in March 2023. The USPTO approved it in September 2025 but announced a re-examination in November.

In September 2024, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed a lawsuit against Pocketpair for infringing “multiple patent rights” in the Tokyo District Court.

The platform holder said it sought “an injunction against infringement and compensation for damages on the grounds that Palworld, a game developed and released by the defendant, infringes multiple patent rights.”

“Nintendo will continue to take necessary actions against any infringement of its intellectual property rights, including the Nintendo brand itself, to protect the intellectual properties it has worked hard to establish over the years.”

Pocketpair acknowledged the lawsuit and said it would begin legal proceedings and investigate the patent infringement claims. It also said it was not notified which patents it allegedly infringed.

In September 2025, Pocketpair announced that Palworld would exit early access in 2026, despite ongoing litigation. The lawsuit includes patents related to monster capture and release, as well as mounts.

Last May, Pocketpair patched how users glide in the game. It removed the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres in November 2024.

“We remain involved in prolonged legal proceedings regarding alleged patent infringement,” Pocketpair said following the May patch. “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.

“We understand that this will be disappointing for many, just as it is for us, but we hope our fans understand that these changes are necessary in order to prevent further disruptions to the development of Palworld.”

In October 2025, the Japan Patent Office denied Nintendo’s patent application for its capture-and-release mechanic.