Modders for Palworld are stepping in to revive gameplay mechanics that developer Pocketpair had to remove following Nintendo and The Pokémon Company's patent lawsuit.
Last week, Pocketpair confirmed that recent game updates were required due to ongoing legal disputes with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.
Palworld debuted on Steam for $30 and launched directly onto Xbox and PC Game Pass in early 2024, shattering sales and player concurrency records. Takuro Mizobe, Pocketpair's CEO, admitted the game's overwhelming success left the studio struggling to manage its massive profits. Seizing the opportunity, Pocketpair quickly partnered with Sony to establish Palworld Entertainment, a venture focused on expanding the franchise. The game later arrived on PS5.
Following Palworld's explosive launch, critics accused Pocketpair of copying Pokémon designs. Instead of pursuing copyright claims, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company opted for patents, demanding 5 million yen (roughly $32,846) each plus damages and an injunction to halt Palworld's release.
In November, Pocketpair acknowledged the three Japanese patents under dispute, which involve capturing creatures in virtual environments. Palworld originally featured a ball-throwing mechanic akin to Pokémon Legends: Arceus, where players used Pal Spheres to capture creatures in the wild.
Six months later, Pocketpair released an update confirming that recent changes stemmed from legal pressures. Patch v0.3.11, launched in November 2024, removed the ability to summon Pals by throwing spheres, replacing it with static summons. Additional gameplay adjustments were also implemented.
Pocketpair stated that failing to make these alterations would have significantly worsened the player experience.
The studio later disclosed that Patch v0.5.5 modified gliding mechanics, requiring players to use gliders instead of Pals, though Pals still provide passive buffs. Players must now carry gliders in their inventory.
Pocketpair described these alterations as concessions forced by fears of injunctions potentially halting Palworld's development and sales.
Just days later, modders reintroduced gliding functionality. Primarinabee's Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods, effectively undoes the latest patch's changes.
"Palworld Patch 0.5.5? Never heard of it!" jokes the mod's description.
"This mod creatively restores Pal-based gliding," it continues. "While you still need a glider in your inventory, it largely reverts Patch 0.5.5 without blocking future updates."
The mod launched on May 10 and has already seen hundreds of downloads.
Another mod attempts to restore throw-to-release mechanics, though it lacks the original ball-throwing animation, instead summoning Pals directly where players look.
With litigation ongoing, it remains uncertain how long these mods will remain available.
At March's GDC, IGN spoke extensively with John "Bucky" Buckley, Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager.
Following his talk titled "Surviving the Palword Roller Coaster," Buckley openly addressed controversies, including debunked AI-generation claims and retracted accusations of stolen Pokémon models. He also briefly commented on Nintendo's lawsuit, calling it an unexpected shock that caught the studio off guard.
