In a bold move, Palworld modders are stepping up to reinstate gameplay mechanics that developer Pocketpair was compelled to remove due to legal pressures from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. The ongoing patent lawsuit has forced Pocketpair to alter key features in Palworld, but modders are now taking matters into their own hands to restore these beloved elements.
Pocketpair recently acknowledged that recent patches to Palworld were a direct result of the litigation. The game, which launched early in 2024 on Steam for $30 and was simultaneously available on Game Pass for Xbox and PC, shattered sales and player concurrency records. The overwhelming success prompted Pocketpair to establish a new business venture, Palworld Entertainment, in partnership with Sony, aimed at expanding the franchise. Subsequently, the game was released on PS5.
Following Palworld's launch, it faced scrutiny for similarities to Pokémon, particularly in the design of its creatures, known as Pals. 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, plus additional damages and an injunction to block Palworld's distribution.
The lawsuit centers around three Japan-based patents related to capturing creatures in a virtual field, similar to Palworld's mechanic of using a Pal Sphere to catch monsters. Pocketpair's November 2024 Patch v0.3.11, confirmed to be a result of the legal battle, altered the summoning mechanic from throwing Pal Spheres to a static summon beside the player. Additional gameplay mechanics were also modified in this update.
Pocketpair stated that without these adjustments, the gameplay experience could have deteriorated further. The subsequent Patch v0.5.5, released last week, further modified the game by changing the gliding mechanic from using Pals to requiring a glider in the player's inventory. Pals now provide passive buffs to gliding but are no longer directly involved in the action.
Describing these alterations as "compromises," Pocketpair noted they were necessary to avoid a potential injunction that could halt Palworld's development and sales. However, modders have quickly responded, with Primarinabee's Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods since May 10, reversing the changes made in Patch v0.5.5. This mod has already seen hundreds of downloads, indicating strong community support for restoring the original gliding mechanic.
While a mod to restore the throw-to-release mechanic exists, it does not replicate the original feature perfectly, omitting the 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. During his talk, "Community Management Summit: A Palworld Roller Coaster: Surviving the Drop," Buckley discussed various challenges faced by Palworld, including debunking claims of using generative AI and accusations of copying Pokémon models. He also touched on the unexpected nature of the patent lawsuit, which he described as a "shock" to the studio.
