Launching a creature collection title in today’s market always involves walking on thin ice, but trying to compete in the pocket monster genre without hiding similarities usually ends in disaster. The open-world game Roco Kingdom, developed by Morefun Studios under Tencent Games, officially announced the date for its first closed beta internationally, set for October 27. However, its recent presentation in Japan did not go as the team expected, unleashing a storm of accusations from users calling it a blatant Pokémon clone.

Although the beta announcement aims to gauge global interest, reactions on Japanese forums after the project’s presentation were relentless. Many players expressed dissatisfaction, noting that menus, capture mechanics, and even creature designs appear direct copies lacking originality. Several comments pointed out that, unlike titles such as Genshin Impact or the controversial Palworld, which at least introduced fresh mechanics and a unique concept, Roco Kingdom makes no attempt to disguise similarities in its capture animation, which immediately recalls Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

The controversy also revived discussions about Nintendo and The Pokémon Company’s legal actions in Tokyo courts, though neither company has yet commented on Tencent’s project. To appease the Japanese market, the production confirmed the involvement of renowned voice actors in its main cast, including KENN as the great wizard Iris, Aiba Aina as Yeshii, Yusuke Kobayashi as Enzer, Akari Kito as Freya, Aoi Koga as Clarissa, Yoko Hikasa as Shiraki, Maki Kawase as Luis, and Genki Okawa voicing Huihoru, all under Xiao Ye’s localization direction.

Roco Kingdom is an open-world adventure RPG in free-to-play format that places players on the continent of Carosia. As a magic academy student, the main goal is to explore the map to find and capture creatures called Jinies using Orbs. Battles are turn-based with teams of up to six members and feature around 400 distinct species, opting out of gacha systems for monster acquisition.

The franchise has a long history, originating in China in 2010 as a browser game, accumulating over 350 million registered accounts over 16 years. Its transition to 3D open worlds arrived in March 2026 for computers and mobile devices in the Chinese market, smashing daily registration records before confirming its global expansion to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and mobile.

What do you think of Roco Kingdom’s design and the harsh criticism it has received for resembling Pokémon?