Palworld is changing several key gameplay systems amid Pokemon Company lawsuit

Palworld developer Pocketpair has confirmed that it needs to adjust several of the survival game's systems, as Nintendo's lawsuit rolls on.

Palworld, oh, how I've missed you. Blasting onto the scene in January of last year, topping the charts and upsetting parents everywhere, Pocketpair's colossal survival game has been quiet as of late, possibly a result of ongoing legal troubles with Nintendo. Several of Palworld's game mechanics have been compared to the Switch maker's classic creature catcher, Pokemon, with various models also allegedly plagiarized from Nintendo's game. While aspects and mechanics of Palworld have already been removed or adjusted in response to the lawsuit, Pocketpair has now confirmed that more "disappointing" changes are on the way.

Palworld patch v0.3.11, released in November of last year, removed the player's ability to throw Pal Spheres and summon Pals, likely given the similarity to Pokemon's iconic battle system. Then, patch v0.5.5, released on Thursday May 8, has removed the ability to fly with your Pals, replacing them with a glider instead. While Pals will still provide buffs as you traverse the survival game's skies, the glider is now mandatory.

Pocketpair has confirmed that both of these changes are a result of the ongoing lawsuit, presumably removed owing to their similarity to various Pokemon mechanics. "We apologize for not being able to share as much information as we would like, but we trust our fans understand how difficult it is to be fully transparent while litigation is ongoing," a May 8 X (formerly Twitter) post reads.

"Currently, we remain involved in prolonged legal proceedings regarding alleged patent infringement. We continue to dispute these claims and assert the invalidity of the patents in question. However, we have had to make certain compromises in order to avoid disruptions to the development and distribution of Palworld." These include the removal of throwable Pal Spheres, and the new glider mechanic.

"As many have speculated, these changes were indeed a result of the ongoing litigation. Everyone here at Pocketpair was disappointed that this adjustment had to be made, and we fully understand that many players feel the same frustration. Unfortunately, as the alternative would have led to an even greater deterioration of the gameplay experience for players, it was determined that this change was necessary.

"We understand that this will be disappointing for many, just as it is for us, but we hope our fans understand that these changes are necessary in order to prevent further disruptions to the development of Palworld. We also want to extend our apologies to our fans for the discomfort and concern this ongoing litigation has caused."

Palworld patch v.0.5.5 is out now, so why not check out our list of the best Palworld mods to shake up your experience? Alternatively, if you're looking for something new but with some of that creature catching spirit, we have a rundown of all the best Pokemon games for PC.

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