"Palworld Developer Faces Patching Pressure from Nintendo, Pokémon Lawsuit"

Palworld developer Pocketpair has revealed that recent updates to the game were necessitated by an ongoing patent lawsuit filed by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. The game, which launched in early 2024 and became an instant hit on Steam and Game Pass, faced accusations of copying Pokémon designs shortly after its release. Instead of pursuing copyright infringement, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company opted for a patent lawsuit, demanding 5 million yen each, plus additional damages and an injunction to halt Palworld's distribution.

Pocketpair confirmed in November that it was being sued over three Japan-based patents related to capturing Pokémon in a virtual field. Palworld includes a similar mechanic where players use a Pal Sphere to capture monsters, akin to the system in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

In response to the lawsuit, Pocketpair released Patch v0.3.11 in November 2024, which modified the game's mechanics. The update removed the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres, replacing it with a static summon next to the player. This change, along with others, was a direct result of the litigation. Pocketpair explained that these adjustments were necessary to avoid further degrading the gameplay experience.

Further changes came with Patch v0.5.5, which altered the gliding mechanic. Now, players must use a glider instead of Pals to glide, although Pals still offer passive gliding buffs. Pocketpair described these alterations as "compromises" forced upon them to prevent an injunction that could stop Palworld's development and sales.

Despite making these changes, Pocketpair continues to challenge the validity of the patents in question. The studio expressed regret over the necessity of these modifications but emphasized their importance in maintaining the game's development trajectory.

In a full statement, Pocketpair thanked fans for their support and apologized for the limited information shared during the ongoing litigation. They reiterated their commitment to Palworld's development and promised to deliver new content to their community.

At the Game Developers Conference in March, Pocketpair's communications director, John "Bucky" Buckley, discussed the studio's challenges, including the patent lawsuit, which he described as a surprising and unforeseen issue for the team.