US EditionUh Oh: Nintendo Just Landed A ‘Summoning’ And ‘Battling’ Patent
The patent, granted by the USPTO on September 2, 2025, covers a widely used gameplay mechanic and aims to protect Nintendo's intellectual property amid ongoing legal disputes.
- Nintendo and The Pokémon Company secured a U.S. patent last week for a game mechanic involving summoning a character to fight another.
- This patent, first filed in March 2023, is part of ongoing legal actions including a lawsuit against Palworld’s developer over alleged patent infringement.
- The patent covers detailed gameplay steps such as moving a player character and automatically controlling a summoned sub character in battle scenarios, which could apply broadly beyond Palworld.
- Patent number 12,409,387 was granted smoothly by the USPTO despite many similar patents facing scrutiny, and its wide scope has raised concerns about influencing future game development.
- This patent could deter smaller studios from using summon-and-battle mechanics and might limit competition, while Nintendo continues to accumulate patents and pursue legal actions mainly in Japan and potentially the U.S.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Nintendo Patent Threatens Hundreds of RPGs & MMOs – Archyde
Archyde Nintendo’s Broad Patent Could Reshape Gaming: The Alarming Implications for Developers and Innovation Imagine a future where the simple act of summoning a companion in a video game could land… You can read the full story here: Nintendo Patent Threatens Hundreds of RPGs & MMOs.
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company secures patent for ‘summoning a character and letting it fight another’
In a new development that is 100% positive to not cause any negative effects for the games industry, both Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have recently filed and secured a patent for a gameplay mechanic involving “summoning a character and letting it fight another.” If you’re thinking that sounds incredibly vague, that’s probably the point. It very clearly relates to Pokémon, but it also seemingly relates to any type of game where players can s…
Omnihanded Entertainmet News | New Nintendo Patent Could Reshape The Future Of Pokemon-Inspired Games
Nintendo has secured a new patent that could have major implications for future Pokemon-inspired games. Granted on September 2, 2025, the filing describes a system that “covers the fundamental gameplay mechanic of summoning a character and letting it fight another” within a video game.The patent application (via Games Fray) was filed in March 2023 and was granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office without any objection. It appears …
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