Pokémon-clone Pickmos Returns to Steam After Plagiarism Scandal

Developer PocketGame and publisher Networkgo have restored the game's page after its temporary removal in mid-April. At that time, it was taken down due to copyright concerns. There was no official announcement, but the publisher gave "final approval" for the project's return with reworked materials.

Initially, Pickmos (formerly Pickmon) was announced in February 2026. The project immediately drew attention due to its strong resemblance to Pokémon and Palworld, both visually and in gameplay. Later, the game was accused of using fan designs and borrowing from other franchises, including Overwatch and The Legend of Zelda.

Amidst the legal dispute between Nintendo and Pocketpair over patents, the project was initially considered potentially risky.

On April 10, the developers renamed the game from Pickmon to Pickmos, likely to reduce the risk of claims. But just six days later, Networkgo announced its intervention in the development and removed the Steam page, explaining it as: "to give the developers time to rework the game and 'ensure a scandal-free experience'."

After the update, the key art on the page was significantly changed: creatures resembling fan versions of Mega Meganium, "Pokémon-like characters," were removed. The dragon resembling Charizard has been replaced with a more mechanical design.

Meanwhile, the original trailer has disappeared from the Steam page and been removed from YouTube, which may indicate that some of the controversial materials are still in the process of being replaced.