Pokémon fan game repository taken down by a reported DMCA notice

A Pokémon website which hosted links to fan-made Pokémon games has been taken offline.

Relic Castle, which was set up in 2014, consisted of a forum dedicated to the playing and creating of Pokémon fan games, as well as a directory providing access to hundreds of fan-made games.

Now, however, the site has been taken offline, with its owner blaming a reported DMCA takedown notice as the reason.

“Dear Pokémon fan game community,” a message posted on the site’s X account reads, “It is with heavy heart that I announce that the Relic Castle website has been taken down following a DMCA takedown notice.

“Relic Castle has always been a non-profit, ad-free, tight-knit community and we pride ourselves in what we have achieved. Members have felt at home, made friends, and even careers with us.

“It is with deep regret that I have to inform you that the forum part of this community, which was to turn 10 years old this year, has had to come to an end. With over 20,000 members and 65,000 posts, Relic Castle was a home to many of us.

“The Discord server is not going anywhere, and the site is still visible as an archive using the Wayback Machine. Thank you all for being with us this last decade, and thank you for making Relic Castle as awesome and life-changing as it has been for some of us.”

It’s not yet clear who issued the DMCA takedown notice, or the specific reason it gave and whether it included reasons beyond simply the use of Pokémon IP.

Earlier this month the former chief lawyer for The Pokémon Company stated in an interview that fan projects are more likely to be taken down if they get press coverage and start making money.

“I teach Entertainment Law at the University of Washington and say this to my students – the worst thing on earth is when your ‘fan’ project gets press, because now I know about you,” former Pokémon general counsel Don McGowan said.

McGowan stressed during the interview that press attention wasn’t usually enough to result in a takedown.

“You don’t send a takedown right away,” he explained. “You wait to see if they get funded (for a Kickstarter or similar) – if they get funded then that’s when you engage. No one likes suing fans.”