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Pocketpair, the creator of Palworld, announced on Thursday that it had to make adjustments to its survival game due to Nintendo's patent infringement complaint filed last year. The Japanese company verified major changes to gameplay aspects and mechanisms in Palworld, which Nintendo and The Pokémon Company claimed infringed on their intellectual property. Pocketpair stated that the adjustments were "necessary" to avoid further deterioration of the gameplay experience as well as disruption to Palworld development and distribution.
Palworld Patched in Light of Lawsuit
A patch issued on November 30, 2024, disabled the ability to call Pals, the Pokémon-style animals in Palworld, by tossing Pal Spheres, replacing the mechanic with a static summon close to the player, Pocketpair stated in a blog post on its website. Last year, Nintendo claimed in a complaint that the particle technique was one of three instances of patent violation in the survival-action game. Patch v0.3.11 also contained further adjustments in response to the complaint.
Furthermore, Pocketpair stated that Palworld's most recent patch will include yet another gameplay "compromise". With Patch v0.5.5, Pals can no longer be used for gliding, which must be done with a glider in the player's inventory. Pals will, however, continue to be able to grant passive gliding benefits, according to the business.
"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," Pocketpair told me.
The firm was "disappointed" that alterations had to be made to Palworld, but stated that it will continue to challenge Nintendo's assertions in the case.
"We also wish to apologize to our followers for the inconvenience and anxiety that this protracted dispute has caused. "We are still committed to developing Palworld and providing exciting new content to our fans," the Palworld developer noted.
Palworld Patent Infringement Lawsuit
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company sued Pocketpair in September 2024, saying that Palworld infringed on three patents. The firms are seeking an injunction against the survival game, which involves monsters that allegedly resemble creatures from the Pokémon series. Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are also demanding damages from Pocketpair in excess of JPY 5 million (approximately Rs. 27.7 lakh).
Palworld became a smash hit on Steam and Xbox when it was released in January 2024. However, the game was accused of plagiarism due to its creature designs and gameplay that appeared to be inspired by Pokémon games. The survival game contains Pokémon-style creatures, or Pals, that may be collected and tamed for battle, traversal, and base construction in the open world, earning it the nickname "Pokémon with Guns."
Despite ongoing legal issues, Palworld remains extremely popular. Earlier this year, Pocketpair announced that the game has reached 32 million players on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox.
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