Palworld modders are taking proactive steps to reinstate gameplay mechanics that developer Pocketpair had to remove due to legal pressures from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. In a recent admission, Pocketpair acknowledged that the changes implemented in recent patches were a direct result of the ongoing patent lawsuit.
Palworld made a splash upon its release early in 2024, debuting on Steam for $30 and immediately available on Xbox and PC via Game Pass. The game shattered sales records and achieved unprecedented concurrent player numbers. The overwhelming success led Pocketpair's CEO, Takuro Mizobe, to admit that the company was overwhelmed by the massive profits. To capitalize on this success, Pocketpair quickly signed a deal with Sony to establish Palworld Entertainment, a new venture aimed at expanding the Palworld IP, which subsequently saw the game's release on PS5.
Following Palworld's launch, the game's Pals drew comparisons to Pokémon, sparking accusations of design plagiarism. However, instead of pursuing a copyright infringement lawsuit, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company opted for a patent infringement approach. They are seeking 5 million yen (approximately $32,846) each, plus late payment damages, and an injunction to block Palworld's release.
In November, Pocketpair confirmed the three Japan-based patents at the heart of the lawsuit, which relate to capturing Pokémon in a virtual field. Palworld originally featured a similar mechanic, where players threw a Pal Sphere to capture monsters in a field, reminiscent of the gameplay in the 2022 Nintendo Switch game, Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Six months later, Pocketpair disclosed that the changes made in Patch v0.3.11, released in November 2024, were a direct result of the legal threats. This patch eliminated the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres, replacing it with a static summon next to the player, along with other gameplay adjustments. Pocketpair stated that without these modifications, the gameplay experience would have deteriorated further.
The most recent update, Patch v0.5.5, altered the gliding mechanic so that players now use a glider from their inventory rather than relying on Pals. While Pals still offer passive gliding buffs, the change was necessary to comply with the legal demands.
Pocketpair described these alterations as "compromises" made under the threat of an injunction that could halt Palworld's development and sales. However, just a week after the latest patch, modders stepped in. Dexerto reported that Primarinabee's Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods, reinstated the original gliding mechanic. The mod's description humorously states, "Palworld Patch 0.5.5? What? That didn't happen!" It aims to reverse the changes made by the patch while still requiring players to have a glider in their inventory. Released on May 10, the mod has already seen hundreds of downloads.
As for the summoning mechanic, a mod exists that partially restores the ability to release Pals without the ball-throwing animation. The future of these mods remains uncertain as the lawsuit continues.
At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March, IGN had an extended conversation with John "Bucky" Buckley, Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager. Following his talk at the conference titled "Community Management Summit: A Palworld Roller Coaster: Surviving the Drop," Buckley discussed various challenges faced by Palworld, including accusations of using generative AI and copying Pokémon models, both of which have been debunked. He also touched on the surprise of Nintendo's patent lawsuit, which he described as "something that no one even considered."
