Palworld Modders Reinstate Mechanics Removed Due to Nintendo, Pokémon Lawsuit

Palworld modders are stepping up to restore gameplay mechanics that were altered by developer Pocketpair due to legal pressures from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Following a lawsuit over patent infringement, Pocketpair was forced to modify certain features in Palworld, and now the modding community is pushing back.

Pocketpair recently acknowledged that changes implemented in their game were a direct result of the ongoing litigation. Palworld, which launched to massive success on Steam and Game Pass in early 2024, faced accusations of mimicking Pokémon designs. Instead of pursuing a copyright infringement lawsuit, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed a patent lawsuit, seeking damages and an injunction that could halt Palworld's distribution.

The lawsuit centers around three Japan-based patents concerning the mechanic of capturing creatures in a virtual field. Palworld originally featured a similar mechanic with the Pal Sphere, akin to the one seen in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. In response to the legal action, Pocketpair released Patch v0.3.11 in November 2024, which altered the summoning of Pals from throwing Pal Spheres to a static summon beside the player. This change, along with others, was made to avoid further legal complications that could degrade the gameplay experience.

More recently, Patch v0.5.5 further adjusted gameplay mechanics, changing how gliding is performed in Palworld. Instead of using Pals, players now require a glider item in their inventory. These changes were described by Pocketpair as necessary compromises to prevent an injunction that could block the game's development and sales.

However, the modding community has quickly responded. Just a week after the latest patch, modders released Primarinabee’s Glider Restoration mod on Nexus Mods, which effectively reverses the gliding changes made in Patch v0.5.5. This mod, available since May 10, has already seen hundreds of downloads. It allows players to glide with their Pals once again, although a glider item is still required in the inventory.

Additionally, there is another mod available that aims to restore the original method of summoning Pals by throwing Pal Spheres, although it does not include the full ball-throwing animation.

The longevity of these mods remains uncertain due to the ongoing lawsuit. At the Game Developers Conference in March, John “Bucky” Buckley, Pocketpair's communications director, discussed the challenges the studio faced, including the unexpected patent lawsuit from Nintendo. Buckley highlighted that the legal action was a surprise to the team and had significant impacts on the game's development.