Back in September, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company filed a lawsuit against Pocketpair, the creators of the video game Palworld. The initial announcement only noted that Palworld “infringes multiple patent rights” owned by the two companies, and did not offer details about the specific patents. Last month, the specific patents were confirmed, and included one that describes the way that Pokemon are captured and sent out using Poke Balls. That specific method is mimicked in Palworld through the game’s Pal Spheres, but it seems the developers have made a big change this week to make it less blatant.
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As noticed by Eurogamer, the new Palworld update has changed the way Pals are summoned in the game. Previously, players tossed out a Pal Sphere, similar to the way Trainers send their Pokemon into battle using a Poke Ball. Following the new update, Palworld players no longer toss out a Pal Sphere; instead Pals are now summoned directly next to the player, appearing in a flash of light. While Pocketpair has not acknowledged that the change was made as a result of the lawsuit, on the surface, it definitely seems like an attempt to satisfy Nintendo and The Pokemon Company.
In the nearly three decades since Pokemon Red and Green were released on the original Game Boy, there have been countless games that have attempted to replicate the style and success of Pokemon. Some have even been pretty blatant about their inspirations, from early copycats like Robopon, to more recent imitations like the Nexomon series (which can actually be found on Nintendo Switch). Palworld has been one of the most successful attempts to replicate the Pokemon formula, with the game smashing records on Steam. It’s possible the game’s success made it a bigger target for The Pokemon Company and Nintendo, especially as players began to point out similarities between the two franchises, from the mechanics, to the monsters themselves.
RELATED: A Pokemon vs. Palworld Timeline Leading Up to the Lawsuit
It remains to be seen whether Palworld will end up with additional changes as a result of this lawsuit, or if the Pal Sphere mechanic is the only thing Pocketpair plans on altering. It’s possible we could see a lot more tweaks made to satisfy everyone involved, but since none of these patents relate to the Pals themselves, fans shouldn’t expect to see any of the character designs altered. For fans of both properties, it would be nice to see an amicable agreement that results in Palworld continuing to exist on its current platforms, but in a way that keeps the game clearly distinguished from the Pokemon franchise. It remains to be seen how things will play out, but Pocketpair has no plans to stop supporting the game, and players can expect a crossover with Terraria in 2025.
How do you feel about this change to Palworld? Do you think Pocketpair is making attempts to satisfy Nintendo and The Pokemon Company? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!