In the wake of legal challenges from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, Palworld modders have stepped up to restore game mechanics that developer Pocketpair was compelled to alter. Pocketpair recently acknowledged that certain patches, including Patch v0.3.11 in November 2024 and Patch v0.5.5 last week, were implemented due to the ongoing patent lawsuit. These changes included modifying the summoning of Pals and the gliding mechanics, which were adjusted to avoid potential injunctions that could halt Palworld's development and sales.

Palworld, which launched early in 2024 on Steam for $30 and was simultaneously available on Game Pass for Xbox and PC, quickly shattered sales and concurrent player records. The game's massive success led Pocketpair to form a new business, Palworld Entertainment, in partnership with Sony to expand the IP. The game later made its way to the PS5. Despite the overwhelming success, Pocketpair's CEO Takuro Mizobe admitted the company was unprepared for the scale of profits generated by the game.

The legal battle stems from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company's accusations that Palworld infringed on their patents, specifically those related to capturing Pokémon in a virtual field. The lawsuit seeks 5 million yen (approximately $32,846) per company plus additional damages and an injunction against Palworld. Pocketpair confirmed it was being sued over three Japan-based patents, which became evident when Palworld introduced a mechanic similar to that in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, involving the use of a Pal Sphere to capture monsters in a field.

In response to the legal threats, Pocketpair made significant changes to Palworld. Patch v0.3.11 removed the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres, instead opting for a static summon method. Patch v0.5.5 further altered the game by changing gliding to require a glider in the player's inventory rather than using Pals. Pocketpair described these modifications as "compromises" necessary to continue the game's development and sales.

However, modders have quickly responded to these changes. Primarinabee's Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods since May 10, has already seen hundreds of downloads. This mod effectively reverses the changes introduced in Patch v0.5.5, allowing players to glide with their Pals once again, albeit with the requirement of having a glider in their inventory. The mod's description playfully dismisses the patch, stating, "Palworld Patch 0.5.5? What? That didn't happen!"

Another mod attempts to restore the original Pal summoning mechanic, though it lacks the ball-throwing animation and instead summons the Pal where the player is looking. The availability of these mods raises questions about their longevity, given the ongoing legal proceedings.

At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March, IGN had an in-depth conversation with John "Bucky" Buckley, communications director and publishing manager for Pocketpair. Following Buckley's talk at the 'Community Management Summit: A Palworld Roller Coaster: Surviving the Drop,' he discussed various challenges faced by Palworld, including debunking accusations of using generative AI and stealing Pokémon models. Buckley also touched on the unexpected patent infringement lawsuit from Nintendo, describing it as a "shock" to the studio.