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Palworld Modders Restore Mechanics Patched Out Due to Nintendo, Pokémon Lawsuit

By MiaMay 22,2025

Palworld modders are actively stepping up to restore game mechanics that developer Pocketpair was compelled to alter due to legal pressures from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company's patent lawsuit. Last week, Pocketpair confirmed that recent patches, including changes to the game, were necessitated by the ongoing litigation.

Palworld, launched on Steam for $30 and included in Game Pass for Xbox and PC in early 2024, shattered sales records and boasted unprecedented concurrent player numbers. Takuro Mizobe, the head of Pocketpair, mentioned that the game's massive success overwhelmed the studio with profits. In response, Pocketpair quickly moved to expand the franchise, signing a deal with Sony to create Palworld Entertainment, focused on growing the IP. The game later expanded to the PS5.

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Following Palworld's launch, comparisons to Pokémon led to accusations of design copying. 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, along with late payment damages and an injunction to halt Palworld's distribution.

In November, Pocketpair acknowledged three Japan-based patents they are being sued over, related to capturing Pokémon in a virtual field. Palworld featured a similar mechanic with the Pal Sphere, akin to that in the 2022 Nintendo Switch exclusive, Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Six months later, Pocketpair admitted that recent updates, including Patch v0.3.11 released in November 2024, were a result of the legal action. This patch changed the summoning of Pals from throwing Pal Spheres to a static summon near the player. Further changes came with Patch v0.5.5, which altered gliding mechanics to require a glider in the player's inventory rather than using Pals. Pals still offer passive gliding buffs, but the change was a compromise to avoid a potential injunction that could affect Palworld's development and sales.

Responding swiftly, modders have now restored the gliding mechanic in Palworld. Primarinabee's Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods since May 10, has been downloaded hundreds of times. The mod description humorously notes, "Palworld Patch 0.5.5? What? That didn't happen!" and explains that it reverts the changes made by the patch while allowing players to continue receiving future updates.

For those missing the throw-to-release mechanic, a mod exists, though it doesn't fully replicate 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 had an in-depth discussion with John "Bucky" Buckley, communications director and publishing manager for Pocketpair. Following his presentation, "Community Management Summit: A Palworld Roller Coaster: Surviving the Drop," Buckley shared insights on Palworld's challenges, including debunking accusations of using generative AI and stealing Pokémon models. He also touched on the unexpected nature of Nintendo's patent infringement lawsuit, stating it "came as a shock" to the studio.

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