Palworld Shifts Gears: A Dramatic Departure from Traditional Summoning Mechanics Amidst Legal Clash with Nintendo

Palworld creator Pocket Pair has released an update for the creature-collecting survival game that eliminates the ability to summon creatures by tossing Pokéball-like Buddy Spheres—all while it continues to face a patent infringement lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.

According to Palworld’s quick v0.3.11 patch notes, the latest update specifies that players can no longer call forth a captured creature to a specific location by aiming and throwing a Buddy Sphere. Instead, companions now appear directly next to players when Buddy Spheres are extended. Additionally, the user interface reticle is now fully visible while aiming.

Although Pocket Pair has yet to provide an explanation for these modifications, it is noteworthy that this update comes amid the ongoing legal dispute with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. In September, Nintendo announced that it was suing Pocket Pair for violating “multiple” patents, and it later confirmed that the lawsuit targets three specific patents. These patents largely pertain to the mechanics of throwing an object in a designated trajectory to summon a battle character or to hold a creature in the field—features that Palworld had initially shared with Pokémon.

Nintendo is seeking an injunction against Palworld, in addition to a fine of 10 million yen (approximately £50k) and “further damages”. Nonetheless, Pocket Pair has promised to contest Nintendo’s allegations, asserting that it will “persist in defending our stance in this case through future legal actions”. There has been no official confirmation that today’s changes are connected to the lawsuit, but Eurogamer has reached out to Pocket Pair for comment.

Regardless, development on Palworld continues, and P