Palworld Modders Reinstate Mechanics Removed Due to Nintendo and Pokémon's Legal Action

Palworld modders are taking matters into their own hands, restoring mechanics that developer Pocketpair was forced to remove due to ongoing litigation with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Last week, Pocketpair acknowledged that recent patches, including changes to the game's mechanics, were necessitated by the lawsuit.

Palworld, which launched on Steam for $30 and was included in Game Pass on Xbox and PC early in 2024, shattered sales and concurrent player number records. Pocketpair's CEO, Takuro Mizobe, admitted the game's launch overwhelmed the developer due to the massive profits it generated. Capitalizing on this success, Pocketpair swiftly signed a deal with Sony to create Palworld Entertainment, aimed at expanding the IP, and later released the game on PS5.

Following Palworld's launch, comparisons were drawn between its creatures, called Pals, and Pokémon, leading to accusations of design theft. 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 damages and an injunction to block Palworld's release.

In November, Pocketpair confirmed it was being sued over three Japan-based patents related to capturing creatures in a virtual field. Palworld initially featured a mechanic similar to the one in the 2022 Nintendo Switch game, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, where players throw a Pal Sphere to capture monsters. Six months later, Pocketpair admitted that Patch v0.3.11, released 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 these changes were necessary to prevent a more significant deterioration of the gameplay experience. Additionally, last week's Patch v0.5.5 modified the gliding mechanic so that it now requires a glider from the player's inventory rather than using Pals, although Pals still offer passive gliding buffs.

Pocketpair described these alterations as "compromises" made to avoid an injunction that could halt Palworld's development and sales. However, just a week later, modders stepped in. Primarinabee's Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods, has already been downloaded hundreds of times since its release on May 10. This mod effectively reverses the changes made by Patch 0.5.5, allowing players to glide with their Pals again, though a glider is still required in the inventory.

The mod's description playfully dismisses the patch, stating, "Palworld Patch 0.5.5? What? That didn't happen!" and emphasizes its aim to restore the gliding mechanic without necessitating the forfeiture of future game updates.

Another mod attempts to restore the throw-to-release Pals mechanic, but it lacks the original ball-throwing animation and instead summons the Pal where the player is looking.

The availability of the Glider Restoration mod raises questions about its longevity amidst 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 candidly discussed Palworld's challenges, including accusations of using generative AI and stealing 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.