Pocketpair confirms Palword changes are in response to Pokémon Company lawsuit

Palworld developer Pocketpair has officially announced that they are implementing several thematic changes to their popular monster-catching survival game in light of the legal battle and series of patent infringement allegations brought forth by The Pokémon Company.

One significant alteration made by Pocketpair in a November 2024 update to Palworld is the adjustment in how Pals are summoned. Pals no longer emerge from Pal Spheres, and with the introduction of Patch 0.5.5, players now have access to a glider for aerial travel instead of riding a Pal through the sky. While Pals in the player’s team still provide a passive buff for gliding, a glider must now be present in the player’s inventory to facilitate gliding.

These changes are a direct response to The Pokémon Company’s allegations of patent infringement against Palworld. Pocketpair describes these adjustments as “compromises” aimed at mitigating any potential injunctions that could hinder the game’s development and distribution. Despite these modifications, Pocketpair continues to challenge The Pokémon Company’s claims in court, particularly focusing on the validity of the patents in question and prior art that may invalidate them.

Pocketpair released the following statement regarding the ongoing situation:

We want to express our heartfelt appreciation for the unwavering support of our fans throughout this challenging period. While we may not be able to divulge extensive details due to the ongoing legal proceedings, we trust that our fans understand the complexities of maintaining transparency during litigation.

Currently, we are engaged in protracted legal battles concerning alleged patent infringement. We vehemently dispute these claims and contest the validity of the patents in question. However, certain compromises have been necessary to prevent disruptions to the development and distribution of Palworld.

On November 30th, 2024, we rolled out Patch v0.3.11 for Palworld. This update removed the ability to summon Pals via Pal Spheres, opting for a static summon next to the player instead. Other gameplay mechanics were also altered with this patch. These changes were indeed influenced by the ongoing litigation. While the team at Pocketpair regrets the necessity of these adjustments, they were deemed essential to maintain the overall gameplay experience for players.

Furthermore, we regret to inform our players that as of Patch v0.5.5, another compromise has been made. Gliding will now require the use of a glider rather than relying on Pals. Although Pals in the player’s team will still enhance gliding, players must now possess a glider in their inventory to glide.

We acknowledge that this may disappoint many players, as it does us, but we trust that our fans understand the necessity of these changes to prevent further disruptions to Palworld’s development.

We extend our apologies to our fans for any discomfort and concern caused by the ongoing legal proceedings.

We remain dedicated to advancing Palworld and delivering exciting new content to our loyal fanbase.

On behalf of the entire Pocketpair and Team Palworld, thank you once again for your unwavering support.

Palworld is currently available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4. A recent major update introduced a new island region for exploration, and an ambitious roadmap has been unveiled, featuring co-op crossplay, Pal world transfers, game collaborations, and more.

Source: Pocketpair