Palworld modders are taking proactive steps to restore game mechanics that developer Pocketpair was compelled to alter due to legal pressures from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company's patent lawsuit.
In a recent statement, Pocketpair acknowledged that changes made in recent patches were a direct result of the ongoing legal battle. Palworld, which launched early in 2024 on Steam for $30 and simultaneously on Xbox and PC via Game Pass, shattered sales and concurrent player records. The game's overwhelming success led Pocketpair's CEO, Takuro Mizobe, to admit that the studio was unprepared for the massive profits generated. Capitalizing on this success, Pocketpair quickly signed a deal with Sony to establish Palworld Entertainment, aimed at expanding the franchise, and later released the game on PS5.
Following Palworld's launch, the game drew comparisons to Pokémon, with some accusing Pocketpair of copying Pokémon designs. Instead of pursuing a copyright infringement lawsuit, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company opted for a patent lawsuit, seeking 5 million yen (approximately $32,846) each, plus additional damages and an injunction to halt Palworld's distribution.
Pocketpair confirmed in November that it was being sued over three Japan-based patents related to capturing Pokémon in a virtual field. Palworld initially featured a similar mechanic where players could capture monsters using a Pal Sphere, akin to the system in the 2022 Nintendo Switch game, Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Six months later, Pocketpair released an update admitting that Patch v0.3.11, issued in November 2024, was a direct result of the legal action. This patch eliminated the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres, replacing it with a static summon beside the player, and made several other adjustments to the game mechanics.
Pocketpair stated that without these changes, the gameplay experience would have deteriorated further. The subsequent Patch v0.5.5, released last week, altered the gliding mechanic so that players must use a glider rather than their Pals, although Pals still offer passive gliding buffs.
Describing these alterations as "compromises," Pocketpair noted they were made to avoid an injunction that could stop Palworld's development and sales.
In response, modders have swiftly acted to restore the original gliding mechanic. Primarinabee's Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods, effectively reverses the changes introduced in Patch v0.5.5. The mod, which requires a glider in the player's inventory, has been downloaded hundreds of times since its release on May 10.
While a mod to restore the throw-to-release mechanic for Pals exists, it does not fully replicate the original feature, lacking the ball-throwing animation. The longevity of the Glider Restoration mod remains uncertain as the lawsuit continues.
At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March, IGN interviewed John "Bucky" Buckley, communications director and publishing manager for Pocketpair. During 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, describing it as a "shock" to the studio.
