Baldur’s Gate 3 Publishing Lead Says Nintendo’s New Patents Are “Often Used in Bad Faith”

Nintendo has recently secured two new patents in the United States, and one of them has sparked debate among both developers and players. While the first patent covers “smooth switching between riding objects,” it’s the second one—focused on summoning characters for combat—that’s raising eyebrows.

Michael “Cromwelp” Douse, publishing director at Larian Studios, the studio behind Baldur’s Gate 3, publicly voiced concerns about the move. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he argued that “these types of patents are too often used in bad faith.”

His comment quickly resonated with others in the gaming community, many of whom worry that Nintendo’s claim could restrict creativity in future titles.

The patent in question, U.S. Patent No. 12,403,397, details a system where a player-controlled character can summon a “sub-character” into battle, essentially allowing the summoned entity to engage in combat upon receiving proper inputs. At first glance, that may sound like a standard gameplay mechanic we’ve already seen across multiple games. Think Pokémon battles, Final Fantasy summons, or even recent titles like Palworld. That’s exactly why so many fans and developers feel uneasy: the scope of this patent could be interpreted very broadly.

According to reports, Nintendo applied for this patent back in March 2023. It was officially granted in July 2025 and issued just last week without much resistance.

It’s worth noting that Nintendo hasn’t commented on how aggressively it intends to enforce this patent. But the fear among players and studios is that even if the company doesn’t immediately act, the mere existence of the patent could hang over developers as a constant threat.

This development comes as Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are already locked in a legal battle with Palworld developer Pocketpair in Japan. That case focuses on alleged infringement of Pokémon-related patents — not character designs, but gameplay mechanics like creature capturing, mount switching, and summoning creatures into combat.

In response to the Japanese lawsuit, Pocketpair has made changes to Palworld, such as removing ball-throwing animations for summons and adjusting gliding mechanics. The studio is also challenging Nintendo’s claims by pointing to “prior art.”

By securing this new U.S. patent, Nintendo is strengthening its legal position beyond Japan. Even if no lawsuits are filed in the U.S., simply holding such a broad patent could discourage other developers from implementing similar mechanics.