Pokémon Ripoff Pulled from Steam Following Publisher Intervention

The survival-crafting title once known as Pickmon—a game heavily criticized for its visual resemblance to both Pokémon and The Legend of Zelda—is facing significant turbulence ahead of its scheduled debut. Surprisingly, the recent drama stems from internal friction rather than legal action from Nintendo; the game’s publisher has pulled it from Steam and seized control of the production process.

The title vanished from the Steam storefront earlier this week. Shortly thereafter, publisher Networkgo took to X (formerly Twitter) to confirm that they have “officially intervened in the development of PocketGame.”

In follow-up posts on social media, Networkgo provided further context regarding the drastic measures. The official account stated that the team is “revising the game to ensure a controversy-free experience,” adding that a re-release would only occur once the publisher provides final sign-off. They also noted they are investigating mounting allegations of intellectual property theft, including initiating contact with at least one impacted creator.

When Pickmon was first unveiled in March, it quickly gained viral notoriety as a Palworld-adjacent phenomenon. While the mechanics lean into survival-crafting rather than traditional RPG elements, the roster features numerous creatures bearing striking similarities to iconic characters like Charizard and Lucario. Community members have also alleged that the game directly appropriated fan art designs. Furthermore, the game’s open-world structure, art style, and core mobility features—such as gliding—have drawn sharp comparisons to Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

The project recently raised eyebrows when it was rebranded from Pickmon to Pickmos. While developers claimed the shift was intended to “better align with our brand identity and lore,” skeptics pointed to the obvious similarities between the original title and the Pokémon franchise. With the steam page now dark and internal restructuring underway, the game’s future remains highly uncertain.

As it stands, there is no official word on when Pickmos might return to digital storefronts or what final form the game will take. Previously, the team had projected a 2027 release date.

Source: Polygon