Last week, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Nintendo and The Pokémon Company two patents covering specific gameplay mechanics from recent Pokémon titles. The patents protect the exact ways players switch between riding Pokémon and summon them for battles.
The first patent (US 12,409,387 B2) covers the smooth mount-switching system from Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Remember how you could seamlessly transition from riding Wyrdeer on land to soaring on Braviary? That specific automatic switching between ground and air mounts is now patented. The system detects when you’re approaching the ground while flying and switches you to a land mount automatically.
The second patent (US 12,403,397 B2) is more complex. It protects the specific way players throw Pokéballs to summon Pokémon in the overworld. If you throw a ball where an enemy exists, a battle starts that you control. If there’s no enemy, your Pokémon roams around on its own. The patent also covers the “Let’s Go” mechanic from Scarlet and Violet, where you can send Pokémon to auto-battle enemies.
These patents don’t mean Nintendo owns the concept of riding creatures or summoning pets in games. They only protect these exact implementations. Other games can still have mount systems or creature summoning—they just need to do it differently.
Patent filings include detailed flowcharts and technical diagrams showing precise button inputs and system responses. For example, the summoning patent requires a specific sequence: first input throws the ball, system checks for enemies, then switches between manual battle control or automatic movement based on what it finds.
Gotta patent ’em all
Gaming patents aren’t new. Warner Bros. famously patented the Nemesis system from Shadow of Mordor. Namco once held a patent on loading screen mini-games. These Nintendo patents follow the same pattern—protecting specific technical implementations rather than broad ideas.
The patents last 20 years from filing date, assuming Nintendo pays maintenance fees. They can only enforce them on games made after the grant date, so existing titles are safe. Any developer worried about infringement can easily design around these patents by changing input methods or system behaviors.
