The scandal surrounding the Pickmon game, which users are already calling a “Pokémon clone,” continues to gain momentum. And, to be honest, the situation looks like the developers were trying to put out the fire quickly, but they did it too superficially. Changing the name to Pickmos did not help, and in some places even increased the irritation of the players.
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Pickmon became Pickmos — name change amid criticism
After a wave of accusations of copying character designs, the studio announced a rebranding: Pickmon was officially renamed Pickmos. On paper, it sounds like a restart attempt, but in practice it’s more of a cosmetic change.
The developers explained that the new name reflects their “unique universe” and the idea of a large-scale world. The suffix “-mos”, they say, is associated with the ecosystem and the cosmos. It sounds nice, but the players quickly noticed that the creatures themselves are still called “pikmons”.
And here the main question arises — if the essence has remained the same, is this really a new beginning? After all, the associations with Pokémon have not disappeared.
Why is Pickmos compared to Pokemon
The reason for the discontent lies on the surface. The players didn’t just “see the similarity” — they began to take apart the design literally in detail.
Many of the Pickmos creatures resemble familiar images:
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Pikachu
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Charizarda
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Lucario
And these are not the cases when you can say “inspired by the style.” According to the players, the similarity is too spotty.
The trailer added fuel to the fire. In it, a character similar to Link from The Legend of Zelda hovers over a mountainous landscape, a scene that is almost directly associated with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
As a result, the discussion quickly went beyond the usual criticism. Fans began to massively urge Nintendo to pay attention to the project.
Pickmos Concept Art has Sparked Controversy again
If anyone expected that after the rebranding, the developers would reconsider the visual style, this did not happen.
The new concept art released along with the statement only added fuel to the fire. Users noticed a creature very similar to the fan design of “Mega Meganium”.
And here the situation becomes even more sensitive. If earlier it was about similarities with a major franchise, now the discussion concerns independent artists.
For many players, this does not look like a coincidence, but like borrowing without proper respect for the authors.
Developers’ Response and trademark verification
PocketGame decided to respond harshly and as formally as possible. The studio said it had checked the USPTO database and found no registered trademarks for the controversial designs.
Simply put, if the design is not legally protected, then it can be used.
From a legal point of view, this may sound logical. But for the players, not only the letter of the law is important, but also the attitude towards creativity. And here the developers’ response is perceived more as an attempt to “brush it off” than as a dialogue.
They also added that, if necessary, lawyers can contact the art director and make changes. But so far it sounds like an abstract promise, not a real step.
Player reaction to Pickmos
The most significant thing is the reaction after the name change. Usually, rebranding helps to reduce tension at least a little. The opposite happened here.
The comments under the posts remain harsh and emotional. People write that:
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the game looks like a copy of Pokémon
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the developers ignore criticism
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that the design is borrowed from other authors
Some comments calling for the game to be deleted have garnered hundreds of likes. And it’s not just “noise” anymore — it’s an indicator of the general mood.
What is happening with Pickmos now and why is it important?
The story of Pickmos is not just about one game. This is an illustrative case of how quickly public opinion is being formed today.
The players have become much more attentive. They notice details, compare, discuss, and are not afraid to openly criticize. And if the developer doesn’t cooperate, the situation only gets worse.
Pickmos is currently at a difficult point. The name change did not solve the problem, because the root of the conflict remained the same — the visual similarity and the absence of obvious changes.
And if the team does not take the next step — no longer cosmetic, but real — trust in the project may finally disappear.
