Palworld Modders Restore Features Cut by Pocketpair Amid Nintendo and Pokémon Lawsuit

Palworld modders are stepping in to reinstate features that developer Pocketpair was compelled to remove due to a patent lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.

Last week, Pocketpair acknowledged that recent updates altered the game in response to ongoing legal action from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.

Palworld debuted on Steam for $30 and on Game Pass for Xbox and PC in early 2024, smashing sales and concurrent player records. Pocketpair’s CEO, Takuro Mizobe, noted that the game’s massive success brought unexpected profits that overwhelmed the studio. Seizing the opportunity, Pocketpair partnered with Sony to establish Palworld Entertainment, a new venture to expand the IP, and later released the game on PS5.

Following Palworld’s blockbuster launch, comparisons arose between its Pals and Pokémon, with some alleging Pocketpair copied Pokémon designs. Instead of pursuing a copyright claim, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company opted for a patent lawsuit, seeking 5 million yen (approximately $32,846) each, plus damages for late payments, and an injunction to halt Palworld’s distribution.

In November, Pocketpair confirmed the three Japan-based patents at issue, which involve capturing creatures in a virtual field, a mechanic central to Palworld’s Pal Sphere system, reminiscent of Pokémon Legends: Arceus from 2022.

Six months later, Pocketpair released an update admitting that recent changes stemmed from legal pressures. Patch v0.3.11, issued in November 2024, removed the ability to throw Pal Spheres to summon Pals, replacing it with a static summon near the player. Other gameplay mechanics were also modified.

Pocketpair stated that without these changes, “the game’s playability would have suffered even more significantly.”

Last week’s Patch v0.5.5 further altered Palworld, requiring a glider for gliding instead of using Pals. While Pals still offer passive gliding buffs, players must now carry a glider in their inventory.

Pocketpair described these adjustments as “necessary compromises” to avoid a potential injunction that could derail Palworld’s development and sales.

Within a week, modders restored the gliding feature. As reported by Dexerto, Primarinabee’s Glider Restoration mod, hosted on Nexus Mods, undoes the changes from Patch v0.5.5.

“Palworld Patch 0.5.5? Never heard of it!” the mod’s description quips.

“For those who cherish soaring with their Pals, this mod cleverly reverses the removal of gliding Pals,” it adds. “You’ll still need a glider in your inventory, and it’s not flawless, but it effectively restores the pre-Patch 0.5.5 experience while allowing future updates.”

Released on May 10, Primarinabee’s Glider Restoration mod has already garnered hundreds of downloads.

A mod addressing the throw-to-release mechanic exists but falls short of fully recreating the original Pal Sphere-throwing animation, instead summoning Pals at the player’s point of focus.

The longevity of the Glider Restoration mod remains uncertain as the lawsuit continues.

At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March, IGN held an in-depth discussion with John “Bucky” Buckley, Pocketpair’s communications director and publishing manager.

Following his GDC talk, ‘Community Management Summit: A Palworld Roller Coaster: Surviving the Drop,’ Buckley openly discussed Palworld’s challenges, including debunked claims of using generative AI and retracted accusations of copying Pokémon models. He also addressed Nintendo’s patent lawsuit, describing it as “a complete surprise” and “something nobody anticipated.”