Palworld Modders Are Restoring Mechanics Pocketpair Was Forced to Patch Out Due to Nintendo and The Pokémon Company’s Patent Lawsuit

Palworld modders have taken proactive steps to reinstate game mechanics that were removed by developer Pocketpair due to a patent lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. In a recent statement, Pocketpair acknowledged that the changes made in recent patches were indeed a direct result of the ongoing legal battle.

Launched early in 2024, Palworld quickly became a sensation, available on Steam for $30 and included in Game Pass for Xbox and PC. It shattered sales and concurrent player records, prompting Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe to comment on the overwhelming financial success, which the company struggled to manage. Leveraging this success, Pocketpair swiftly entered into a partnership with Sony, creating Palworld Entertainment to further develop the IP. The game was later released on PS5.

Following its massive launch, Palworld drew comparisons to Pokémon, with some accusing it of copying Pokémon designs. However, instead of pursuing a copyright infringement lawsuit, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company opted for a patent infringement approach, seeking 5 million yen (around $32,846) each, plus additional damages and an injunction to halt Palworld's distribution.

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

Six months later, Pocketpair released an update admitting that recent changes to the game were due to legal pressures. Specifically, Patch v0.3.11, released in November 2024, eliminated the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres, replacing it with a static summon near the player. This patch also altered several other game mechanics. Pocketpair stated that without these modifications, the gameplay experience would have suffered even more.

Additionally, last week's Patch v0.5.5 modified Palworld's gliding mechanics, shifting from using Pals to requiring a glider from the player's inventory. Pals still offer passive gliding buffs, but the core mechanic now depends on the glider. Pocketpair described these alterations as necessary "compromises" to avoid an injunction that could jeopardize the game's development and sales.

In response, modders quickly acted to restore the original gliding feature. Primarinabee’s Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods, effectively reverses the changes introduced in Patch v0.5.5. The mod description humorously denies the existence of the patch and promises to bring back the joy of flying with Pals, albeit with the necessity of a glider in the player’s inventory. Released on May 10, the mod has already seen hundreds of downloads.

Another mod exists that attempts to restore the throw-to-release Pal mechanic, though it lacks the original ball-throwing animation and instead summons the Pal at the player's current viewpoint. The longevity of these mods remains uncertain as the lawsuit continues.

At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March, IGN had an in-depth discussion with John "Bucky" Buckley, Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager. Following his talk at the 'Community Management Summit: A Palworld Roller Coaster: Surviving the Drop,' Buckley candidly discussed various challenges faced by Palworld, including unfounded accusations of using generative AI and stealing Pokémon models. He also touched on the unexpected nature of Nintendo's patent lawsuit against Pocketpair.