Palworld Modders Revive Mechanics Removed Due to Nintendo, Pokémon Lawsuit

Palworld modders are taking the initiative to reinstate mechanics that developer Pocketpair was compelled to remove due to legal pressures from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. These modifications come in the wake of Pocketpair's admission that recent patches were influenced by the ongoing patent lawsuit.

Palworld burst onto the scene in early 2024, launching on Steam for $30 and simultaneously on Xbox and PC via Game Pass, shattering sales records and achieving unprecedented concurrent player counts. The game's overwhelming success led Pocketpair's CEO, Takuro Mizobe, to admit the studio struggled to manage the influx of profits. Seizing the opportunity, Pocketpair quickly struck a deal with Sony to establish Palworld Entertainment, aimed at expanding the game's intellectual property, and later released the game on PS5.

Following Palworld's launch, the game drew comparisons to Pokémon, prompting accusations of design plagiarism. However, rather than 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 distribution.

In November, Pocketpair acknowledged being sued over three Japan-based patents related to capturing Pokémon in virtual fields. Palworld originally featured a similar mechanic using a Pal Sphere to capture monsters, reminiscent of the system in the 2022 Nintendo Switch game, Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Six months later, Pocketpair confirmed that Patch v0.3.11, released in November 2024, altered gameplay mechanics due to the legal dispute. This update eliminated the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres, replacing it with a static summon beside the player, and made other adjustments. Pocketpair stated that failing to make these changes would have severely compromised the gameplay experience.

Additionally, last week's Patch v0.5.5 further modified Palworld by changing gliding mechanics from using Pals to requiring a glider in the player's inventory, although Pals still offer passive gliding buffs. Pocketpair described these alterations as "compromises" necessitated by the threat of an injunction that could jeopardize Palworld's development and sales.

In response, modders have swiftly acted to restore the removed features. Just a week after Patch v0.5.5, Primarinabee's Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods, reinstated the gliding mechanic with Pals. The mod's description humorously dismisses the recent patch, stating, "Palworld Patch 0.5.5? What? That didn't happen!" It allows players to glide with Pals, albeit requiring a glider in inventory, and aims to reverse the changes without blocking future updates. The mod, released on May 10, has seen hundreds of downloads.

Another mod attempts to restore the throw-to-release mechanic for Pals, though it lacks the original ball-throwing animation and simply summons the Pal at the player's gaze. The longevity of these mods remains uncertain as the lawsuit progresses.

During the Game Developers Conference in March, IGN interviewed John "Bucky" Buckley, communications director and publishing manager for Pocketpair. Buckley, who spoke at the conference about Palworld's challenges, including accusations of using generative AI and stealing Pokémon models (both debunked), also touched on the unexpected patent infringement lawsuit from Nintendo, describing it as a "shock" to the studio.