Palworld datamine uncovers a Mewtwo-like Pal as Pokemon copycat saga continues

A Palworld datamine appears to have uncovered a Pal strikingly similar in appearance to Mewtwo from the Pokemon series, reigniting the discourse once more as copycat accusations run rampant.

Long before Palworld became the cultural phenomenon it now is in 2024, it was labeled as “Pokemon with guns.” And while the early access build we have today bears more of a resemblance to Survival games like Ark in its structure, the Pals themselves have come under a great deal of scrutiny.

With dozens of designs bearing resemblance to those found across the Pokemon franchise, controversy has been rife, to the point The Pokemon Company itself even chimed in just a few days ago.

Now, as the record-shattering best-seller looks to keep its momentum up, many are looking to what’s coming down the road. According to a supposed datamine, even more eerily similar Pals could be next up.

Pokemon YouTuber Lewtwo was among the first to share a Palworld design plucked from the game’s code. Eurogamer managed to speak with the original leaker Brian Cozzens who accidentally found this particular design while compiling 3D models found throughout the game.

In this instance, it’s a ‘Dark Mutant’ Pal coming into question, as the datamine unearthed a creature bearing a striking resemblance to Mewtwo. From its pointed ears to three fingers and toes, the Pal design unquestionably takes inspiration from the popular Pokemon.

Catching fire on social media for said similarity, Lewtwo shared the image in stating “You cannot be serious man.” Three million impressions later and the ongoing controversy now has another flaming hot talking point.

“This guy’s mad [because] Pokemon haven’t put out a good game since Black & White 2,” “Competition is good,” “Looks way better than Mewtwo,” and “That’s just extremely blatantly stolen,” running the gamut of opinions in the replies.

While Palworld devs have obviously fired back against Pokemon copycat accusations, millions of players are still debating. And now, with the game on The Pokemon Company’s radar, it could only be a matter of time before legal action is pursued.

Though for the moment, the game is only continuing to thrive with rapid sales and colossal viewership across streaming platforms. Whether or not this Mewtwo-esque Pal makes its way into the full game and helps carry the momentum is anyone’s guess for now.