Pickmos is back on Steam, but wah, this one is not returning quietly.
Developer PocketGame and publisher Networkgo have restored the Steam page for their upcoming creature collector RPG after the listing was pulled in April over copyright-related concerns. There has not been a big official comeback announcement yet, but the restored page suggests the game has been cleared by the publisher to return with revised visuals and gameplay material.
For anyone who missed the drama: Pickmos was first revealed in February 2026 as Pickmon, and it immediately got attention for looking very, very familiar. The game’s creature designs, presentation and general monster-catching vibe drew comparisons to Pokémon and Palworld almost instantly.
That would already be enough to make the internet side-eye the project, but things escalated when players pointed out several designs that appeared extremely close to existing characters or fan-made Pokémon creations. PocketGame was also accused of using designs resembling material from other major franchises, including Overwatch and The Legend of Zelda.
The timing made the whole thing even hotter. Nintendo is already involved in a high-profile patent infringement lawsuit against Pocketpair over Palworld, so any new creature collector that looks too close to Pokémon is going to be watched extra closely. For SEA players who follow Steam indies, this is exactly the kind of situation where one viral trailer can turn into a legal headache before the game even launches.
PocketGame tried to move away from the obvious naming issue on April 10 by changing the title from Pickmon to Pickmos. The new name was framed as a better fit for the game’s brand identity and worldbuilding. But six days later, publisher Networkgo stepped in directly, saying it would supervise the project and temporarily remove the Steam page so the team could revise the game and aim for a controversy-free experience.
Now that the Steam listing is live again, some changes are already visible. The game’s header image has been heavily altered. A creature that had been criticised for looking like a popular fan-made Mega Meganium design is no longer there. Other monsters that players compared to Pikachu and Lucario also appear to have been removed from the key art. A dragon-like creature that previously looked close to Charizard has been replaced with a more mechanical dragon design.
That said, this does not look like the full clean-up is finished yet. The original trailer is no longer on the Steam page, and the YouTube version has reportedly been delisted. That suggests PocketGame may still be replacing or reworking more assets before showing the game properly again.
For Malaysian and SEA gamers, the bigger story here is not just whether Pickmos survives. Creature collector games are huge in this region because they are easy to understand, fun to share, and perfect for Steam wishlists if the price is right. But players here are also not blur when it comes to copied designs. If something looks too close, the community will call it out fast.
Pickmos now has a second chance, but the pressure is on. If PocketGame wants players to take it seriously, the game needs more than renamed branding and swapped-out artwork. It needs its own identity, its own monster designs, and gameplay that feels like more than a remix of Pokémon and Palworld.
Until then, Pickmos is one to watch — partly because it might still become an interesting indie creature RPG, and partly because everyone wants to see whether it can actually escape the clone label.
Source: Automaton Media