Summary

• Pocketpair released OverDungeon on the Nintendo eShop in a surprise move.
• OverDungeon is a genre-blending action card game with tower defense mechanics.
• Despite an ongoing lawsuit, Pocketpair celebrated OverDungeon's launch with a 50% off sale.

In an unexpected move, Palworld developer Pocketpair has brought its 2019 title, OverDungeon, to the Nintendo eShop. This launch comes amidst ongoing legal battles, as Pocketpair has been under scrutiny for months due to allegations of patent infringement by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company related to its popular monster-taming game, Palworld.

In September 2024, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company initiated legal action against Pocketpair, claiming that Palworld's Pal Spheres infringed on their creature-capturing system patents. This lawsuit sparked significant controversy within the gaming community. Pocketpair responded by calling the situation "unfortunate" and committed to following the investigation procedures. Despite these challenges, Palworld saw a surge in concurrent Steam players following a major update in December. Now, in another bold move, Pocketpair has launched OverDungeon on the Nintendo eShop.

On January 9, Pocketpair released OverDungeon for Nintendo Switch consoles. Originally launched only on Steam in 2019, OverDungeon is described as an action card game with integrated tower defense and roguelike mechanics. This marks Pocketpair's first game on the Switch, and the company announced the launch with a 50% off sale until January 24 to celebrate its debut. While Palworld is available on PS5 and Xbox, the decision to launch OverDungeon on the Nintendo eShop has puzzled some, with social media speculation suggesting it might be a strategic response to the ongoing lawsuit.

Pocketpair Launches Its First Nintendo Switch Game Amid Lawsuit

While Palworld is Pocketpair's most well-known game, it isn't the first to draw comparisons to Nintendo titles. In 2020, Pocketpair released Craftopia, an RPG that bore a striking resemblance to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Craftopia continues to receive updates on Steam, with the latest in December. Meanwhile, Pocketpair has been actively promoting Palworld, even announcing a collaboration with Terraria. The first phase of this crossover introduced a new Pal named Meowmeow, and more Terraria-related content is expected throughout 2025.

Since the lawsuit was filed, little additional information has been shared by the parties involved. Some patent experts suggest that the lawsuit could drag on for years if no settlement is reached. Beyond the Terraria collaboration, Pocketpair has teased further plans for Palworld in 2025, including potential ports to Mac and mobile platforms.