Palworld modders are taking matters into their own hands, restoring mechanics that developer Pocketpair was forced to remove due to a patent lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Last week, Pocketpair admitted that recent patches, including changes to the game, were a direct result of the ongoing litigation.
Palworld, which launched on Steam for $30 and was immediately available on Game Pass for Xbox and PC in early 2024, shattered sales and concurrent player records. The game's massive success overwhelmed Pocketpair, with CEO Takuro Mizobe stating that the studio struggled to manage the enormous profits. Capitalizing on this success, Pocketpair quickly signed a deal with Sony to create Palworld Entertainment, aimed at expanding the IP. The game later made its way to PS5.
Following Palworld's launch, comparisons to Pokémon led to accusations of design plagiarism. However, 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 late payment damages and an injunction to block Palworld's release.
In November, Pocketpair confirmed it was being sued over three Japan-based patents related to catching Pokémon in a virtual field. Palworld initially featured a mechanic similar to that in the 2022 Nintendo Switch exclusive, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, where players could throw a Pal Sphere to capture monsters in the field.
Six months later, Pocketpair acknowledged that the changes in Patch v0.3.11, released in November 2024, were due to the legal threats. This patch removed the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres, replacing it with a static summon next to the player, and altered several other game mechanics. Pocketpair stated that without these changes, the gameplay experience would have deteriorated further.
Last week's Patch v0.5.5 further modified Palworld, changing gliding from using Pals to requiring a glider in the player's inventory. Pals still provide passive gliding buffs, but the mechanic was fundamentally altered. Pocketpair described these changes as "compromises" made to avoid an injunction that could halt Palworld's development and sales.
Just a week after the patch, modders restored the gliding mechanic. Primarinabee's Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods, effectively reverses the changes introduced in Patch v0.5.5. The mod's description humorously denies the patch's existence, stating, "Palworld Patch 0.5.5? What? That didn't happen!" It allows players to glide with their Pals again, though a glider is still required in the inventory.
Primarinabee's mod, released on May 10, has already been downloaded hundreds of times. Another mod attempts to restore the throw-to-release mechanic for Pals, but it lacks the original ball-throwing animation. The longevity of these mods remains uncertain due to the ongoing lawsuit.
At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March, IGN interviewed John "Bucky" Buckley, communications director and publishing manager for Pocketpair. Following his talk, "Community Management Summit: A Palworld Roller Coaster: Surviving the Drop," Buckley discussed Palworld's challenges, including accusations of using generative AI and stealing Pokémon models, both of which Pocketpair has debunked. He also touched on the unexpected nature of Nintendo's patent infringement lawsuit, describing it as a "shock" to the studio.
