Pickmon: The Controversial Open-World Survival Game

The gaming industry is buzzing with a new title even before its release. Pickmon is a multiplayer open-world survival crafter developed by PocketGame and published by NETWORKGO.

Since appearing on Steam in March 2026, the game has sparked widespread discussion due to its gameplay concept and its similarities to well-known franchises such as Pokémon, Palworld, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

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What Is Pickmon?

Pickmon is an open-world survival game that combines monster taming, exploration, base building, and industrial crafting mechanics.

Players explore a world filled with the ruins of ancient civilizations. During their journey, they can capture creatures known as Pickmon, train them, and use their abilities to survive.

Beyond combat, the game focuses on several core activities such as:

• Building bases
  
• Farming resources
  
• Gathering materials
  
• Crafting weapons and equipment
  
• Automating production through factories

Pickmon also supports multiplayer, allowing players to team up with friends to face various threats across the world.

World Setting and Story

Pickmon takes place on a mysterious continent filled with relics from a lost civilization.

While exploring the world, players will encounter:

• Abandoned cities
  
• Ancient artifacts
  
• Mysterious technologies

As the story progresses, players will also confront a shadowy organization that plays a central role in the game’s conflict.

The main goal is not only survival but also uncovering the history of the world and stopping the organization’s hidden plans.

Pickmon Gameplay

As a survival crafting game, Pickmon revolves around several core gameplay systems.

1. Capturing Creatures (Pickmon)

Unlike Pokémon, which uses Poké Balls, Pickmon introduces a capture system that uses specialized cards.

The process typically involves:

• Weakening a creature
  
• Using a capture card
  
• Recruiting the Pickmon as an ally

Captured Pickmon can then assist players with multiple tasks.

2. Open-World Exploration

The game world features multiple biomes, including:

• Grasslands
  
• Tropical jungles
  
• Deserts
  
• Frozen tundras
  
• Volcanic mountains
  
• Deep valleys
  

Each biome contains unique resources, enemies, and Pickmon species. Exploration plays a major role as players search for rare materials needed for crafting and base expansion.

3. Base Building

Players can construct their own base as the center of operations.

Bases may include:

• Living quarters
  
• Storage facilities
  
• Food production farms
  
• Crafting workshops

As players progress, they can upgrade their base with more advanced structures.

4. Farming and Survival

Managing food resources is essential for survival.

The farming system allows players to:

• Grow crops
  
• Maintain food supplies
  
• Process raw ingredients

Certain Pickmon can even assist with farming tasks to speed up production.

5. Industrial Automation

One of the more unique mechanics is factory automation.

Players can construct industrial facilities to:

• Manufacture weapons
  
• Craft tools
  
• Process materials
  

Pickmon can operate these facilities, allowing production to run more efficiently.

6. Multiplayer Co-op

Pickmon supports two multiplayer options:

• Online Co-op
  
• LAN Co-op

In these modes, players can:

• Build bases together
  
• Hunt Pickmon
  
• Fight stronger enemies

A single-player mode is also available for solo players.

Creature and Character Designs

Creatures are one of the main highlights of Pickmon. Although the full roster has not been revealed, trailers and screenshots have already drawn attention from the gaming community.

Some creature designs appear visually similar to characters from Pokémon, including:

• A dragon resembling Charizard
  
• A plant-type creature similar to Meganium
  
• An electric creature reminiscent of Pikachu
  
• A fighter-type creature similar to Lucario
  

The main playable character has also been compared to Link from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Meanwhile, another character reportedly resembles Roadhog from Overwatch 2.

These similarities are one of the biggest reasons the game has become a topic of debate online.

Platforms and Availability

Currently, Pickmon has only been confirmed for:

• PC via Steam
  
• Windows 10 or newer

There has been no official announcement regarding releases for:

• Consoles
  
• Steam Deck
  
• Nintendo Switch

Some rumors suggested a Switch version, but this remains unconfirmed.

Pickmon PC System Requirements

For an indie project, Pickmon’s hardware requirements are relatively high.

Minimum Requirements

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
  
• Processor: Intel i5-3570K
  
• RAM: 16 GB
  
• GPU: GTX 1050 (2GB)
  
• DirectX: Version 11
  
• Storage: 40 GB SSD
  
• Internet: Broadband connection

Recommended Requirements

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
  
• Processor: Intel i9-9900K
  
• RAM: 32 GB
  
• GPU: RTX 2070
  
• Storage: 40 GB SSD

An SSD is required even for minimum specs.

Additional Features

Pickmon also includes several extra features:

• Controller support (Xbox, DualShock, DualSense)
  
• Steam Achievements
  
• Steam Cloud saves
  
• Accessibility options
  
• Support for up to 15 languages

These features suggest the game aims to provide a full experience despite coming from a relatively new development studio.

Pickmon Release Date

At the moment, Pickmon does not have an official release date.

What is currently known:

• The Steam page launched on March 9, 2026
  
• The release window is listed as “To Be Announced”

Some reports suggest a possible early access window in 2027, but this has not been confirmed by the developers.

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Pickmon has quickly become one of the most talked-about upcoming games of 2026. While its monster-taming survival concept has potential, the similarities to well-known franchises have also sparked major controversy.

Whether Pickmon will become a successful new IP or remain a debated project will likely depend on how the game evolves leading up to its official release.