Palworld Modders Bypass Nintendo, Pokémon Patents to Restore Mechanics

Palworld modders are stepping up to restore game mechanics that developer Pocketpair was compelled to modify due to a patent lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. In a recent development, Pocketpair acknowledged that changes implemented in recent patches were a direct result of the ongoing legal battle.

Palworld, which hit the market in early 2024 at a price of $30 and was immediately available on Xbox and PC via Game Pass, shattered sales and concurrent player records. The game's overwhelming success led Pocketpair's CEO, Takuro Mizobe, to admit that the company was unprepared for the sheer volume of profits generated. Riding the wave of this success, Pocketpair quickly secured a deal with Sony, establishing Palworld Entertainment to expand the franchise. The game later became available on PS5.

Following Palworld's explosive launch, parallels were drawn between its creatures, known as Pals, and Pokémon, with some accusing Pocketpair of copying Pokémon designs. Instead of pursuing a copyright infringement case, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company opted for a patent lawsuit, seeking 5 million yen (approximately $32,846) each, plus additional damages for late payments, 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 mechanic where players threw a ball-like object, called a Pal Sphere, to capture monsters, a feature reminiscent of the gameplay in the 2022 Nintendo Switch game, Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Six months later, Pocketpair released an update admitting that changes made to the game were due to legal pressures. Patch v0.3.11, released in November 2024, removed the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres, instead introducing a static summon next to the player. This patch also altered several other mechanics. Pocketpair stated that failing to make these adjustments would have further degraded the gameplay experience.

Last week’s Patch v0.5.5 introduced more changes, altering how gliding is performed in the game. Now, players must use a glider from their inventory rather than relying on Pals, though Pals still offer passive gliding buffs. Pocketpair described these modifications as necessary compromises to avoid an injunction that could stop Palworld's development and sales.

In response, modders have quickly moved to restore the original gliding mechanics. Primarinabee’s Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods, reverses the changes introduced by Patch v0.5.5. The mod, which became available on May 10, has been downloaded hundreds of times. Its description humorously denies the existence of Patch 0.5.5 and explains that it restores gliding with Pals while still requiring a glider in the player's inventory.

Another mod attempts to bring back the ability to throw Pal Spheres to release 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. Following his talk, 'Community Management Summit: A Palworld Roller Coaster: Surviving the Drop,' Buckley discussed Palworld's challenges, including accusations of using generative AI and copying Pokémon models, which have since been refuted. He also touched on the unexpected nature of Nintendo's patent lawsuit against Pocketpair.