Palworld changes mechanics to avoid litigation with Nintendo

Palworld has undergone another significant change to circumvent the increasing legal pressure from Nintendo. Developer Pocketpair released the v0.5.5 update this week, which discreetly removes one of the most useful mechanics of the game: the use of Pals as gliders. Now, players can only glide using an equipped glider, while the Pals previously used for this purpose now only offer passive abilities while the character is gliding.

The modification comes in the wake of a legal dispute that has been ongoing since early 2024. In a statement published on network X, Pocketpair admitted that this was another "compensation" related to the lawsuit filed by Nintendo, which alleges patent infringement associated with the Pokémon series.

"As many have speculated, these changes were indeed a result of the ongoing litigation. Everyone here at Pocketpair was disappointed that this adjustment was necessary and we fully understand the players' frustration," the company stated.
"Unfortunately, as the alternative would lead to an even greater deterioration in the gaming experience, we determined that this change was necessary."

The patch does not bring new content, technical improvements, or bug fixes. Instead, it represents a purely preventative change to avoid escalating the dispute with Nintendo, which had already forced another similar alteration in November 2024, when the Pals ceased to be summoned from spheres similar to Poké Balls, and are now simply summoned alongside the player.

The legal action is based on three Japanese patents: JP7545191, JP7493117, and JP7528390, which describe creature capture and riding mechanics, as implemented in the game Pokémon Legends: Arceus (2022). The patents protect gameplay design elements that, according to Nintendo, were improperly replicated in Palworld.

Intellectual property lawyer specializing in games, Kirk Sigmon, had already warned in September 2024 about the potential consequences of the lawsuit:

"There are risks for both sides. If the court finds that these patents are not valid, Nintendo could lose them. However, at the same time, maintaining such a lawsuit is expensive, and Pocketpair is losing money on legal fees week after week."

According to Sigmon, the most likely scenario would be an out-of-court settlement.

"You put the parties in a room and say, 'Look, none of us want to continue with this. What do you want?' It could be something as simple as a licensing agreement or specific changes in the game."

A recurring criticism of Nintendo is its aggressive approach in legal disputes, which has led many to view the recent changes in Palworld not as creative decisions, but as survival measures. While Pocketpair's actions avoid larger conflicts, they also raise an old debate about the limits of intellectual protection in games: to what extent can mechanics like creature riding or using helpers be truly patented?

For now, Palworld continues to be developed, but now further away than ever from being compared to the universe of Pokémon.