Palworld Mods Restore Cut Features Post-Nintendo Legal Action

Palworld modders are stepping in to restore mechanics that developer Pocketpair was compelled to patch out, following patent litigation filed by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.

Last week, Pocketpair acknowledged that recent game updates included alterations mandated by an ongoing lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.

Palworld launched on Steam for $30 and directly into Game Pass on Xbox and PC in early 2024, shattering sales and concurrent player records. Studio head Takuro Mizobe noted the launch was so massive that the developer struggled to manage the enormous profits the game generated. Nevertheless, Pocketpair moved quickly to leverage Palworld's runaway success, inking a deal with Sony to establish a new entity called Palworld Entertainment aimed at expanding the IP. The game eventually launched on PS5.

Following Palworld's explosive debut, comparisons surfaced between its Pals and Pokémon, with some alleging Pocketpair had copied Pokémon designs. Nintendo and The Pokémon Company opted to pursue a patent infringement lawsuit rather than a copyright claim. The companies are seeking 5 million yen (approximately $32,846) each, plus damages for late payment, and an injunction to block Palworld's release.

In November, Pocketpair confirmed it is contesting three Japan-based patents related to capturing creatures in a virtual field. Palworld originally featured a mechanic where players hurled a ball-like object (a Pal Sphere) at monsters in the wild to catch them, akin to the system seen in the 2022 Nintendo Switch exclusive Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Six months later, Pocketpair issued an update conceding that recent game modifications were a direct result of the legal pressure. The developer confirmed that Patch v0.3.11, released in November 2024—as players had suspected—was shaped by the litigation. This update removed the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres, replacing it with a static summon beside the player. Several other gameplay mechanics were also altered.

Pocketpair stated that failing to implement these changes would have "led to an even greater deterioration of the gameplay experience for players."

The developer also revealed that last week’s Patch v0.5.5 introduced further adjustments, requiring players to use a glider item for aerial mobility instead of gliding directly with Pals. Pals in the player's party will still offer passive gliding bonuses, but players must now carry a glider in their inventory to glide.

Pocketpair described these changes as "compromises" the studio is forced to make, fearing an injunction that could halt Palworld's development and sales.

Now, merely a week later, modders have reintroduced the original gliding mechanic to Palworld. As reported by Dexerto, Primarinabee's Glider Restoration mod, available on Nexus Mods, reverts the alteration introduced in last week's patch.

"Palworld Patch 0.5.5? What? That didn't happen!" the mod description reads.

"For those of [you] who love flying with your pals, this mod uses sleight of hand to reverse the sleight-of-hand 'removal' of gliding pals," it continues. "You still need a glider in your inventory, and it's not QUITE perfect, but it basically reverses Patch 0.5.5 without requiring you to forego future game updates."

Primarinabee’s Glider Restoration mod was published on May 10 and has already been downloaded hundreds of times.

Regarding a mod to restore the throw-to-release mechanic for Pals, one is available along similar lines, though it doesn't fully replicate the pre-patch functionality (it omits the ball-throwing animation, instead summoning the Pal where the player is looking).

The question now is how long the Glider Restoration mod will remain available, given the ongoing lawsuit.

At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March, IGN conducted an in-depth interview with John “Bucky” Buckley, communications director and publishing manager for Palworld developer Pocketpair.

We spoke after his conference talk, 'Community Management Summit: A Palworld Roller Coaster: Surviving the Drop.' During that session, Buckley offered candid insights into several challenges Palworld faced, including accusations of using generative AI (which Pocketpair has since robustly refuted) and allegations of stealing Pokémon models for its Pals (a claim the original accuser has retracted). He also briefly addressed Nintendo's patent lawsuit against the studio, calling it a "shock" and "something that no one even considered."