By “We have been compelled to make certain accommodations”
- by Jim Norman
Last year, Palworld developer Pocketpair revealed that it was eliminating the Poké Ball-style summoning feature due to its ongoing lawsuit with Nintendo. It seems the adjustments won’t end there, as the studio today announced that additional “unfortunate” alterations are on the way.
In a recent tweet, the company acknowledged that the 2024 Pal Sphere update was indeed “a consequence of the ongoing legal dispute” and that the team was disheartened by its removal, but “the alternative would have resulted in an even worse gameplay experience for players.”
The new patch (ver. 0.5.5) introduces “yet another adjustment,” the Pocketpair statement goes on to explain. From this update forward, players will glide using a glider instead of riding on one of their Pals. “Pals in the player’s team will still offer passive benefits to gliding,” the developers note, “but players will need to have a glider in their inventory to glide.”
Both the summoning/capturing of creatures and riding them were contentious points in the Nintendo patents central to this litigation. While removing them might seem like a positive step, Pocketpair asserts, “We continue to challenge [Nintendo’s] allegations and maintain that the patents in question are invalid,” indicating that the legal battle is far from over.
“We also wish to express our apologies to our fans for the unease and worry this ongoing litigation has caused,” the statement concludes, “We remain dedicated to developing Palworld and providing exciting new content to our followers.”
In its latest legal update, Pocketpair highlighted Pikmin 3 Deluxe, Octopath Traveler, and several other titles as ‘evidence’ that Nintendo’s patented mechanics are prevalent. Meanwhile, Nintendo seems to be poised to take this case international after securing approval for multiple related patents in the United States.
What are your thoughts on these Palworld updates? Is the lawsuit nearly resolved? Share your opinions in the comments.
[source x.com]
Jim joined Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his claim that The Minish Cap is the finest Zelda game and his steadfast appreciation for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has persistently written news and features on the site since then.