Pickmon, the monster-collecting game that launched under a cloud of plagiarism claims, now faces accusations from independent fan artists who say their original work was lifted for the game's promotional materials without permission. At least two separate creators have identified their designs in Pickmon's trailer and banner images, altered just enough to obscure the source.
The Specific Allegations
The clearest case involves an artist known as el.psy.fake, whose Mega Meganium concept art was posted to Instagram on March 10, 2025. That same design appears in Pickmon's banner image with changes made to the creature's eyes and wings. The chest pattern and the distinctive antennae and horn shapes remain close enough to the original to be a clear match. The fan art predates Pickmon's version by a significant margin, supporting the artist's claim.
A second case centers on a creature spotted in Pickmon's trailer that looks like Ceruledge, a Pokémon from the mainline series, except the Pickmon version has four legs instead of two.
Key points from the allegations:
- At least two artists have publicly identified their work in Pickmon promotional content
- Designs appear to have been slightly edited rather than directly copied, suggesting an attempt to obscure the source material
- The fan art in question predates Pickmon's promotional materials, establishing a clear timeline
- Neither artist appears to have given consent for their work to be used
Why This Escalates an Already Serious Situation
Pickmon was already in trouble before these fan art accusations surfaced. The game had been accused of lifting creature designs from Pokémon and Palworld, and fans had flagged similarities between Pickmon's fast-travel structures and the iconic Aetheryte crystals from Final Fantasy XIV. The developer behind Pickmon, operating under the name PocketGame, drew immediate comparisons to Palworld developer Pocketpair because of the near-identical studio name.
Adding fan art theft to that list changes the nature of the controversy. Copying design language from major franchises sits in a legal gray area that companies and lawyers argue over. Reproducing an independent artist's specific, original creation with minor edits is a far more direct form of intellectual property infringement, and one that is harder to dismiss as coincidence or inspiration.
Pickmon trailer creature in question
What most players miss in situations like this is the human cost. Fan artists invest real time and creative effort into their work, often building audiences around original concepts. Having that work appear in a commercial product without credit or compensation is a direct harm to individual creators, not just corporate IP holders.
A Pattern of Alleged Copying
Pickmon launched into public awareness with almost no prior buildup, which itself raised eyebrows in the gaming community. The wave of accusations that followed has been unusually broad, touching on multiple source materials across different genres and studios. The combination of alleged design theft from major franchises and now independent artists paints a picture of a development process that critics argue relied heavily on existing creative work.
The developer PocketGame had not issued a public response to the fan art allegations at the time of reporting. Whether the accusations result in any formal legal action or platform-level consequences remains to be seen, but the growing list of alleged violations is drawing sustained attention from both the gaming community and the creators affected.
Source: Opencritic
Make sure to check out our articles about top games to play in 2026:
Best Nintendo Switch Games for 2026
Best First-Person Shooters for 2026
Best PlayStation Indie Games for 2026
Best Multiplayer Games for 2026
Most Anticipated Games of 2026
Top Game Releases for January 2026
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Pickmon?
Pickmon is a monster-collecting game developed by a studio called PocketGame. It appeared without significant prior announcement and has since faced multiple allegations of copying designs from Pokémon, Palworld, and Final Fantasy XIV, as well as now from independent fan artists.
Which artists have accused Pickmon of stealing their work?
At least two artists have come forward publicly. The most documented case involves el.psy.fake, who posted a Mega Meganium concept on Instagram in March 2025. That design appears in Pickmon's promotional banner with minor modifications.
Has PocketGame responded to the fan art allegations?
As of the time of reporting, PocketGame had not issued a public statement addressing the fan art accusations specifically. The studio also had not responded publicly to the broader design theft allegations involving major franchises.
