Nintendo filed a patent application to be included in their creature-capture and mount-switching gameplay systems patent family. Japanese Patent Application 2026-019762 relates to a monster catching gameplay loop in which players use a touch screen to deploy capture items. This application may suggest that Nintendo is exploring additional Pokémon-related game modalities.
The patent application in question has already been rejected twice by the Japanese Patent Office on grounds that it lacks an inventive step. As such, it’s likely that Nintendo will be forced to further amend the claims of their application to achieve allowance.
