Palworld modders are taking matters into their own hands by restoring mechanics that developer Pocketpair was forced to remove due to the ongoing patent lawsuit with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.
Last week, Pocketpair admitted that recent patches to the game were made in response to the litigation. Palworld, which launched on Steam for $30 and was immediately available on Xbox and PC Game Pass in early 2024, broke sales and concurrent player number records. The game's massive success led to significant profits, which Pocketpair's CEO Takuro Mizobe stated the developer struggled to manage. Capitalizing on this success, Pocketpair formed a new business, Palworld Entertainment, in partnership with Sony to expand the IP, and later released the game on PS5.
Following Palworld's launch, comparisons to Pokémon were inevitable, with accusations of design plagiarism. Instead of pursuing a copyright infringement lawsuit, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company targeted Pocketpair with a patent lawsuit, seeking 5 million yen (approximately $32,846) each, plus damages for late payments, and an injunction to block Palworld's release.
In November, Pocketpair confirmed they were being sued over three Japan-based patents related to capturing Pokémon in a virtual field. Palworld initially featured a similar mechanic using a Pal Sphere, reminiscent of the mechanic in the 2022 Nintendo Switch game, Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Six months later, Pocketpair acknowledged that Patch v0.3.11, released in November 2024, was a direct result of the legal action. This patch removed the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres, replacing it with a static summon next to the player, and made several other changes to the game's mechanics. Pocketpair stated that these changes were necessary to prevent a further deterioration of the gameplay experience.
The most recent Patch v0.5.5, released last week, altered gliding mechanics so that players now use a glider rather than their Pals, though Pals still provide passive gliding buffs. Pocketpair described these adjustments as "compromises" made to avoid an injunction that could halt Palworld's development and sales.
In response, modders have quickly acted to restore the original gliding mechanic. Primarinabee's Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods, undoes the changes from Patch v0.5.5. The mod, which requires a glider in the player's inventory, has been downloaded hundreds of times since its release on May 10. Another mod attempts to restore the throw-to-release mechanic for Pals, though it lacks the original ball-throwing animation.
The longevity of these mods remains uncertain as the lawsuit continues. At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March, IGN interviewed John "Bucky" Buckley, communications director and publishing manager for Pocketpair. Buckley discussed the studio's challenges, including accusations of using generative AI and stealing Pokémon models, which have been debunked. He also mentioned the unexpected nature of Nintendo's patent lawsuit, describing it as a "shock" to the studio.
