Palworld modders have taken it upon themselves to reinstate game mechanics that were removed by developer Pocketpair due to a patent lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Last week, Pocketpair acknowledged that recent updates, including Patch v0.3.11 and Patch v0.5.5, were influenced by the legal actions against them.
Palworld, which launched in early 2024 on Steam for $30 and on Xbox and PC through Game Pass, shattered sales and concurrent player records. The game's massive success overwhelmed Pocketpair, with CEO Takuro Mizobe stating they struggled to manage the influx of profits. Capitalizing on this success, Pocketpair formed a new business venture with Sony called Palworld Entertainment to expand the franchise, later releasing the game on PS5.
Following its launch, Palworld drew comparisons to Pokémon, with some alleging it copied Pokémon designs. Instead of pursuing a copyright lawsuit, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company opted for a patent infringement suit, demanding 5 million yen each, plus additional damages and an injunction to halt Palworld's distribution.
In November, Pocketpair confirmed they were being sued over three Japanese patents related to capturing Pokémon in virtual fields. Palworld's mechanic of using a Pal Sphere to capture monsters in a field was similar to that in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Six months later, Pocketpair admitted that Patch v0.3.11, released in November 2024, altered the game's mechanics, including changing the summoning of Pals from throwing Pal Spheres to a static summon beside the player.
Further adjustments came with Patch v0.5.5, which modified gliding mechanics so that players use a glider instead of Pals, though Pals still offer passive gliding buffs. Pocketpair described these alterations as necessary "compromises" to avoid a potential injunction that could jeopardize the game's development and sales.
In response, modders have quickly acted to restore these mechanics. Primarinabee’s Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods since May 10, has been downloaded hundreds of times and reintroduces gliding with Pals. The mod's description humorously denies the existence of Patch 0.5.5, stating, "Palworld Patch 0.5.5? What? That didn't happen!" It requires a glider in the inventory and, while not perfect, effectively reverses the changes made by the patch.
Another mod related to summoning Pals exists, though it lacks the original ball-throwing animation and instead summons the Pal where the player is looking. The longevity of these mods remains uncertain given the ongoing lawsuit.
At the Game Developers Conference in March, IGN interviewed John “Bucky” Buckley, Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager. Buckley discussed the challenges Palworld faced, including accusations of using generative AI and copying Pokémon models, both of which Pocketpair has refuted. He also touched on the surprise of the patent infringement lawsuit from Nintendo, noting it was unexpected and unanticipated by the studio.
