Palworld developer Pocketpair has disclosed that recent updates to the game were necessitated by an ongoing patent lawsuit brought by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Launched early in 2024, Palworld quickly soared to success on Steam for $30 and through Game Pass on Xbox and PC, shattering sales and concurrent player records. Takuro Mizobe, the head of Pocketpair, admitted that the overwhelming profits from Palworld's launch were beyond the company's capacity to manage. In response to this success, Pocketpair swiftly moved to expand its reach by partnering with Sony to create Palworld Entertainment, aimed at broadening the franchise, and subsequently released the game on PS5.
The game's launch sparked comparisons to Pokémon, with some alleging that Pocketpair had copied Pokémon designs. Instead of pursuing a copyright infringement case, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company opted for a patent lawsuit, seeking 5 million yen (approximately $32,846) each, along with late payment damages and an injunction to halt Palworld's distribution.
In November, Pocketpair acknowledged the lawsuit centered around three Japanese patents related to capturing Pokémon in a virtual environment. Palworld features a similar mechanic where players use a Pal Sphere to capture monsters in the wild, reminiscent of the gameplay in the 2022 Nintendo Switch title, Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Six months later, Pocketpair confirmed that the changes introduced in Patch v0.3.11, released in November 2024, were indeed a response to the legal action. This update eliminated the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres, replacing it with a static summon beside the player, and altered several other game mechanics. Pocketpair stated that without these modifications, the gameplay experience would have suffered even more.
Further adjustments were made with the release of Patch v0.5.5, which shifted the gliding mechanic from using Pals to employing a glider. While Pals still offer passive gliding buffs, players must now carry a glider in their inventory to glide. Pocketpair described these alterations as "compromises" forced upon them to avoid an injunction that could stop Palworld's development and sales.
Despite these changes, Pocketpair remains committed to challenging the lawsuit, focusing on proving the patents' invalidity. The studio expressed regret over the necessary adjustments but emphasized their importance in preventing further disruptions to Palworld's development.
Pocketpair's full statement reflects their gratitude for fan support and their ongoing struggle with the legal challenges. They apologized for the limited information shared during the litigation and reiterated their dedication to delivering new content to their fans.
At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March, IGN interviewed John "Bucky" Buckley, Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager. Following his talk, '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 unexpected nature of Nintendo's patent lawsuit against Pocketpair.
