Palworld Mods Reinstate Mechanics Removed by Nintendo, Pokémon Lawsuit

Palworld modders are actively taking steps to reinstate game mechanics that developer Pocketpair was compelled to modify due to a patent lawsuit initiated by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Pocketpair recently acknowledged that changes made in recent updates were indeed a direct result of the ongoing legal action against them.

Palworld, which debuted on Steam for $30 and was simultaneously released on Xbox and PC through Game Pass in early 2024, shattered records for sales and concurrent players. The game's massive success led to unexpected profits, which Pocketpair's CEO, Takuro Mizobe, admitted the company was unprepared to handle. In response to the game's popularity, Pocketpair quickly moved to expand its reach by partnering with Sony to create Palworld Entertainment, a new venture dedicated to broadening the Palworld IP. This led to the game's later release on the PS5.

Following Palworld's launch, the game faced scrutiny and comparisons to Pokémon, with some alleging that Palworld's creatures, known as Pals, were too similar to Pokémon designs. Instead of pursuing a copyright infringement lawsuit, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company opted for a patent lawsuit, seeking damages of 5 million yen (approximately $32,846) each, plus additional late payment penalties, and an injunction to halt Palworld's release.

In November, Pocketpair confirmed that the lawsuit revolved around three Japan-based patents related to capturing Pokémon in a virtual field. Palworld originally featured a mechanic where players could capture monsters in the wild using a ball-like object called a Pal Sphere, reminiscent of the mechanic in the 2022 Nintendo Switch game, Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Six months later, Pocketpair released an update acknowledging that the changes implemented in Patch v0.3.11, released in November 2024, were due to the legal threats. This patch altered the summoning mechanic from throwing Pal Spheres to a static summon beside the player. Several other mechanics were also modified to comply with the legal demands. Pocketpair stated that failure to make these changes would have further degraded the gameplay experience.

Additionally, last week's Patch v0.5.5 further adjusted Palworld's mechanics, changing the gliding system from using Pals to requiring a separate glider item in the player's inventory, although Pals still provide passive gliding buffs.

Pocketpair described these modifications as "compromises" forced upon them to avoid an injunction that could stop Palworld's development and sales.

In response, modders have quickly stepped in to restore the original gliding mechanic. The Glider Restoration mod by Primarinabee, available on Nexus Mods, effectively reverses the changes introduced in Patch v0.5.5. The mod description humorously denies the existence of the patch, stating, “Palworld Patch 0.5.5? What? That didn't happen!” It explains that the mod allows players to glide with their Pals again, though it still requires a glider in the inventory and isn't perfectly seamless. Released on May 10, the mod has already been downloaded hundreds of times.

Another mod aims to restore the original throw-to-release mechanic for Pals, but it lacks the ball-throwing animation, simply summoning the Pal where the player is looking.

The longevity of the Glider Restoration mod remains uncertain due to the ongoing legal battle.

At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March, IGN conducted an in-depth interview with John “Bucky” Buckley, communications director and publishing manager for Pocketpair. Following his presentation 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 stealing Pokémon models, both of which have been refuted by Pocketpair. He also touched on the unexpected nature of Nintendo's patent lawsuit, describing it as a "shock" to the studio.