Pocketpair Admits Changes to Palworld from Nintendo Lawsuit

Tokyo, Japan – Developer Pocketpair has confirmed that significant changes made to its game, Palworld, were forced by an ongoing patent lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. In a recent blog post, the studio announced the updates were necessary to avoid disruption in the game’s development and distribution.

Palworld, which launched on January 19, 2024, in early access for $30 on Steam and Xbox, quickly broke sales records. However, the lawsuit alleges that the game infringes on patents held by Nintendo related to capturing mechanics similar to those found in Pokémon games.

The first major change occurred with Patch v0.3.11, released on November 30, 2024. This update removed the ability to summon Pals using a ball-like object known as a Pal Sphere, replacing it with a static summon next to the player. Pocketpair acknowledged that these alterations were a direct result of the legal proceedings.

“As many have speculated, these changes were indeed a result of the ongoing litigation,” the blog post read. Pocketpair expressed disappointment about the adjustments, understanding that players share in this frustration. “Unfortunately, as the alternative would have led to an even greater deterioration of the gameplay experience for players, it was determined that this change was necessary,” the studio stated.

Following this, Patch v0.5.5 announced further modifications, stating that gliding would no longer be possible using Pals, but with an actual glider item instead. While Pals will still provide passive buffs to gliding, players must now have a glider in their inventory to fly.

“We understand that this will be disappointing for many, just as it is for us, but we hope our fans understand that these changes are necessary in order to prevent further disruptions to the development of Palworld,” Pocketpair added.

Despite making these compromises, Pocketpair remains committed to disputing the claims made in the lawsuit, asserting the invalidity of Nintendo and The Pokémon Company’s patents. The studio emphasized its dedication to developing Palworld and providing new content for its fans.

In March 2024, Pocketpair’s spokesperson shared insights on the challenges faced during a panel discussion at the Game Developers Conference, indicating that the lawsuit was unexpected and became an instance of significant concern for the development team.