Palworld announced “another compromise” in the ongoing legal battle with Pokémon and confirmed the “disappointing” removal of one Pal-oriented feature.
Releasing in January 2024, Palworld became a global phenomenon, boasting over two million concurrent players at its peak on Steam, but comparisons were immediately made with Pokémon.
Although Palworld and developer Pocketpair continue to contest the lawsuit, arguing invalidity and non-infringement, an announcement on X (formerly Twitter) stated that “certain compromises” were made “in order to avoid disruptions to the development and distribution of Palworld.”
The latest “compromise” will take place in the Patch v0.5.5, where gliding will be performed using a glider rather than with Pals. Though Pals will continue to provide passive bonuses when gliding, a glider must be present in a player’s inventory.
Although such a switch may not seem significant at first glance, Pokémon is not the only game to use creatures or animals to assist with gliding, so the removal will be a blow to Pocketpair.
How Has The Pokémon Lawsuit Impacted Palworld?
This isn’t the first time Palworld has made adjustments amid the Pokémon lawsuit, with an update in November removing the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres, instead switching it to a static spawn alongside the player.
It was speculated that this was due to the ongoing litigation, which has now been confirmed. Although disappointing, “the alternative would have led to an even greater deterioration of the gameplay experience for players.”
Fans will understandably be curious about whether further changes to the Palworld model are on the cards, and with all the comparisons between the Pals in Palworld to creatures within the Pokémon world, it’s interesting that these models have not yet emerged as a point of contention.
For more Palworld, read about the latest patents acquired by Nintendo and how the Pocketpair CEO came “under attack” every day following Palworld’s release.
What do you think about these changes? Is the Pokémon lawsuit on Palworld fair? Share your thoughts in the Insider Gaming Forum.
Nintendo is disgusting