In a bold move, Palworld modders are stepping up to restore game mechanics that were removed by developer Pocketpair due to a patent lawsuit initiated by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. The legal action forced Pocketpair to alter several aspects of Palworld, a game that saw an explosive launch on Steam and Game Pass for Xbox and PC in early 2024, priced at $30. The game not only shattered sales records but also set new highs in concurrent player numbers. The overwhelming success led Pocketpair to form a new business, Palworld Entertainment, with Sony to expand the IP, eventually bringing the game to PS5.
Following Palworld's launch, the gaming community drew parallels between Palworld's creatures, known as Pals, and Pokémon, leading to accusations of design plagiarism. However, instead of pursuing a copyright lawsuit, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company opted for a patent infringement approach, seeking 5 million yen (approximately $32,846) each plus additional damages and an injunction against Palworld.
Pocketpair confirmed in November that it was being sued over three Japan-based patents related to capturing Pokémon in virtual environments. Palworld had featured a similar mechanic with the Pal Sphere, akin to the system in the 2022 Nintendo Switch title, Pokémon Legends: Arceus. In response to the lawsuit, Pocketpair released Patch v0.3.11 in November 2024, which modified the game's mechanics, including changing the summoning of Pals from throwing Pal Spheres to a static summon beside the player. Further adjustments came with Patch v0.5.5 last week, shifting the gliding mechanic from using Pals to requiring a glider, though Pals still offer passive gliding buffs.
Pocketpair described these alterations as necessary "compromises" to avoid a potential injunction that could halt Palworld's development and sales. However, modders have quickly responded by restoring the original gliding mechanic. Primarinabee’s Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods since May 10, has been downloaded hundreds of times. This mod effectively reverses the changes introduced in Patch 0.5.5, allowing players to glide with their Pals once again, albeit with the requirement of having a glider in their inventory.
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, who had just given a talk titled 'Community Management Summit: A Palworld Roller Coaster: Surviving the Drop,' discussed various challenges faced by Palworld, including debunking claims of using generative AI and accusations of stealing Pokémon models. He also touched on the unexpected nature of Nintendo's patent lawsuit, describing it as a "shock" to the studio.
