Palworld Modders Restore Patched Mechanics Amidst Nintendo and Pokémon Legal Battle

Palworld modders are taking matters into their own hands by restoring game mechanics that developer Pocketpair was forced to remove due to legal pressures from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Last week, Pocketpair admitted that recent patches, including changes to the game, were necessitated by 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 records and set new benchmarks for concurrent player numbers. The overwhelming success led Pocketpair's CEO, Takuro Mizobe, to admit that the company was initially overwhelmed by the game's profits. Capitalizing on this success, Pocketpair quickly 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, it drew comparisons to Pokémon, leading 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, along with late payment damages and an injunction to halt Palworld's release.

In November, Pocketpair acknowledged the three Japan-based patents related to capturing Pokémon in a virtual field, which were at the heart of the lawsuit. Palworld originally featured a mechanic similar to that in the 2022 Nintendo Switch game Pokémon Legends: Arceus, involving capturing monsters with a ball-like object called a Pal Sphere.

Six months later, Pocketpair released an update confirming that changes made in Patch v0.3.11, released in November 2024, were a direct result of the lawsuit. This patch eliminated the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres, replacing it with a static summon next to the player. Other gameplay mechanics were also altered.

Pocketpair stated that failing to implement these changes would have resulted in a significantly worse gameplay experience. Last week's Patch v0.5.5 further modified Palworld, changing gliding mechanics from using Pals to using a glider, though Pals still offer passive gliding buffs. Players must now carry a glider in their inventory to glide. Pocketpair described these alterations as "compromises" made under the threat of an injunction that could halt Palworld's development and sales.

Just a week later, modders stepped in to restore the gliding mechanic. Primarinabee’s Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods, effectively reverses the changes introduced by 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, albeit requiring a glider in the inventory, and aims to be compatible with future game updates.

Primarinabee’s Glider Restoration mod, released on May 10, has already been downloaded hundreds of times. While a mod to restore the throw-to-release mechanic exists, 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 conducted an in-depth interview with 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 various challenges faced by Palworld, including accusations of using generative AI and copying Pokémon models, which have been debunked. He also touched on the unexpected nature of Nintendo’s patent lawsuit against Pocketpair.