Palworld Modders Restore Mechanics Removed Due to Nintendo and Pokémon Patent Lawsuit

Palworld modders are taking matters into their own hands, restoring mechanics that developer Pocketpair was forced to remove due to legal action from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Last week, Pocketpair admitted that recent patches were a direct result of the ongoing litigation, confirming suspicions among the player base.

Palworld, which launched on Steam for $30 and was immediately available on Xbox and PC via Game Pass 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 were inevitable, 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 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 wild.

Six months later, Pocketpair acknowledged that recent changes to the game were indeed due to legal threats. Patch v0.3.11, released in November 2024, removed the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres, replacing it with a static summon next to the player. This patch also 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 introduced further modifications, changing gliding from using Pals to requiring a glider in the player's inventory. Pals still provide passive gliding buffs, but the mechanic itself was altered. Pocketpair described these changes as "compromises" made to avoid an injunction that could halt Palworld's development and sales.

Just a week after Patch v0.5.5, modders restored the original gliding mechanic. Primarinabee’s Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods, effectively reverses the changes made by the patch. The mod's description humorously denies the existence of Patch 0.5.5 and explains that it allows players to glide with their Pals again, albeit with the need for a glider in their inventory. Released on May 10, the mod has already been downloaded hundreds of times.

While there is a mod that attempts to restore the throw-to-release Pal mechanic, it does not fully replicate the original feature, lacking the ball-throwing animation. The longevity of the Glider Restoration mod 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 against the studio.