They can, but Nintendo generally leaves fan projects alone unless they compete with an actual Nintendo product (see AM2R being taken down right before Samus Returns came out), are for-profit, or conflict with the Nintendo image (I think there was a gory Pokémon fan game that got taken down).
I should have specified. My bad. Partly because of basically no-one knowing what’s going on with this mod yet, I know nothing and am assuming it’s a free mod. I know for-profit are fair game in the cease & desist world. I know I’m opening myself up for a lynching by saying this, but I don’t see Game Freak being able to make a Pokemon survival game akin to Palworld either suddenly or within the next few years given the lackluster performance of Scarlet/Violent so that throws competition out. As for image, Pokemon is already known for it’s indentured servitude in the lore so beyond the argument of Palworld being less subtle about it, I don’t think they have a case there either. At that point it comes down to scare tactics by sending C&Ds anyway or the usual large company strategy of keeping them in court long enough the smaller company runs out of money to defend themselves which I don’t think Nintendo is guilty of historically but I could be wrong.
Can they actually do anything about a mod though? Pixelmon is a well known mod that has existed for years
They can, but Nintendo generally leaves fan projects alone unless they compete with an actual Nintendo product (see AM2R being taken down right before Samus Returns came out), are for-profit, or conflict with the Nintendo image (I think there was a gory Pokémon fan game that got taken down).
I don’t think they would like pokemon getting killed. That seems to go against their image.
I should have specified. My bad. Partly because of basically no-one knowing what’s going on with this mod yet, I know nothing and am assuming it’s a free mod. I know for-profit are fair game in the cease & desist world. I know I’m opening myself up for a lynching by saying this, but I don’t see Game Freak being able to make a Pokemon survival game akin to Palworld either suddenly or within the next few years given the lackluster performance of Scarlet/Violent so that throws competition out. As for image, Pokemon is already known for it’s indentured servitude in the lore so beyond the argument of Palworld being less subtle about it, I don’t think they have a case there either. At that point it comes down to scare tactics by sending C&Ds anyway or the usual large company strategy of keeping them in court long enough the smaller company runs out of money to defend themselves which I don’t think Nintendo is guilty of historically but I could be wrong.