Palworld developer to make more gameplay changes to the game amid legal dispute

Palworld developer Pocketpair had made gameplay changes to the game following ongoing litigation with The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. 

The company said it continues to dispute claims and assert the invalidity of the parents in question. Despite this, they have made some compromises to ensure the continued development and distribution of Palworld.

After releasing an initial patch to the game in November 2024 replacing the ability to summon Pals, Pocketpair said Patch v0.5.5 will include a change where gliding will now require a glider rather than using Pals. 

“As many have speculated, these changes were indeed a result of the ongoing litigation," the company said in a post. “Everyone here at Pocketpair was disappointed that this adjustment had to be made, and we fully understand that many players feel the same 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.

“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."

Prolonged proceedings 

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed a lawsuit against Pocketpair in September 2024, eight months after the game launched on January 19th, 2024. 

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are both seeking $32,800 and an injunction against Pocketpair based on alleged patent infringement rather than copyright. 

Earlier this year in April, Pocketpair contested a lawsuit filed by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company in Japan centered on alleged patent infringement related to game mechanics like capturing creatures, riding them, and AI-driven wandering. 

Pocketpair argued that these concepts exist in other titles, citing games like Rune Factory 5, Titanfall 2, Far Cry 5, Tomb Raider, Octopath Traveler and others as prior examples of similar mechanics.