A patent built around a familiar game mechanic runs into trouble

Nintendo’s controversial US patent covering the idea of summoning a character to fight on a player’s behalf has hit a wall. The patent, which was granted last year, described a system with two battle modes: one that runs automatically and one that gives the player full control. Not surprisingly, patent lawyers and analysts questioned almost immediately whether that was really the sort of breakthrough the law was meant to protect.

USPTO rejects every claim

According to GamesFray, a US Patent and Trademark Office examiner rejected all 26 claims of the patent in March 2026, concluding that none of them were new enough to qualify for protection.

The examiner did not need to compare the patent with a specific video game to reach that conclusion. Instead, the rejection relied entirely on four earlier patent applications, two filed by Nintendo and two by Konami and Bandai Namco. In other words, the argument effectively became, "this idea was already floating around plenty," which is not the strongest foundation for an exclusive right.

Rare scrutiny from the USPTO

The patent had already drawn attention from the USPTO’s director in November 2025, when the office ordered a formal reexamination. Patent experts described that move as highly unusual. That review has now ended with all claims struck down.

The ruling matters well beyond a single patent filing. Nintendo sued Pocketpair, the developer of Palworld, in Japan in 2024, and this patent became part of broader concerns about whether large publishers could use broad and vague claims to pressure smaller studios making games with similar mechanics.

Not the end of the road yet

The rejection is not final, so Nintendo still has a chance to respond and challenge the outcome. That process could take months, because apparently even a patent dispute can be made to move at the pace of a government office.

For now, though, the US patent office has sent Nintendo a very clear message: this particular idea may have been too obvious to own in the first place.