Palworld Modders Bypass Nintendo and Pokémon's Legal Blocks to Restore Game Mechanics

In a bold move, Palworld modders are stepping up to restore gameplay mechanics that were removed by developer Pocketpair due to legal pressures from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. This action comes in response to Pocketpair's recent admission that changes made to the game were a direct result of the ongoing patent lawsuit.

Palworld, which launched in early 2024 on Steam for $30 and was also available on Xbox and PC through Game Pass, shattered sales records and amassed a huge player base. The game's overwhelming success led to significant profits that Pocketpair struggled to manage, prompting them to quickly expand their business by signing a deal with Sony to create Palworld Entertainment. This new venture aims to further develop the Palworld intellectual property, and the game later made its way to PS5.

Following its 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 lawsuit, seeking 5 million yen (approximately $32,846) 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 the mechanics of catching creatures in a virtual field. Palworld initially included a feature similar to that in the 2022 Nintendo Switch game Pokémon Legends: Arceus, where players could capture monsters by throwing a Pal Sphere at them in a field. However, due to the lawsuit, Pocketpair was forced to alter this mechanic. In the November 2024 Patch v0.3.11, the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres was replaced with a static summon next to the player, along with other gameplay changes.

Pocketpair noted that these modifications were necessary to prevent a more significant impact on the gameplay experience. More recently, Patch v0.5.5 introduced further changes, shifting the gliding mechanic from using Pals to requiring a glider in the player's inventory, though Pals still offer passive gliding buffs.

Labeling these adjustments as "compromises," Pocketpair expressed concern over the potential for an injunction that could stop the game's development and sales. However, modders have now taken it upon themselves to reinstate some of these removed features. Just a week after Patch v0.5.5, Primarinabee’s Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods, brought back the gliding with Pals feature, reversing the recent patch's changes. The mod, released on May 10, has been downloaded hundreds of times already.

While there's also a mod that attempts to restore the throw-to-release Pals mechanic, it doesn't fully replicate the original functionality, as it lacks the ball-throwing animation. The future availability of these mods remains uncertain due to the ongoing legal battle.

At the Game Developers Conference in March, IGN interviewed John “Bucky” Buckley, communications director and publishing manager for Pocketpair. During Buckley's talk at the 'Community Management Summit: A Palworld Roller Coaster: Surviving the Drop,' he addressed various challenges faced by Palworld, including accusations of using generative AI and copying Pokémon models, both of which Pocketpair has refuted. Buckley also touched on the surprise of the patent infringement lawsuit from Nintendo, describing it as an unforeseen challenge for the studio.