The survival-crafting and creature-collecting title Pickmos has officially been pulled from Steam following intense scrutiny regarding its resemblance to industry giants. Developer PocketGame recently announced a rebranding of their project from "Pickmon" to "Pickmos," but the minor name change failed to silence critics who argue the game is a blatant imitation of Pokemon and Palworld.
Networkgo Intervenes in Pickmos Development
In response to the growing backlash, the game's publisher, Networkgo, has taken decisive action by removing the title from the Steam storefront. In a recent update addressing the sudden disappearance of the store page, Networkgo clarified that they are stepping in to overhaul the project's direction.
"We've heard your feedback regarding the removal of our Steam store page and want to clear things up," the publisher stated. "Networkgo has officially intervened in the development of Pickmos. We will be supervising the PocketGame team from a player's perspective to ensure the game keeps getting better."
Controversy Surrounding the Pokemon-Palworld Clone
Since its initial reveal last month, Pickmos has struggled to establish its own identity. The game has faced heavy criticism for several key issues:
- Design Mimicry: Accusations that the game functions as a direct Pokemon-Palworld clone.
- Asset Theft Claims: Allegations that PocketGame utilized "Fakemon" designs stolen from independent fan artists.
- Superficial Rebranding: Skepticism regarding the decision to change only a single letter in the title to supposedly "align" with its brand identity.
By pulling the game from Steam, Networkgo appears to be attempting to fulfill a promise of a "controversy-free" rework. Whether this intervention can successfully pivot Pickmos away from its reputation as a derivative experience remains to be seen as the publisher begins its supervision of the PocketGame team.
