Palworld had to remove game features because of Nintendo lawsuit

The ongoing lawsuit between Nintendo and Palworld developer Pocketpair has forced the studio to make some changes to its Pokémon-like game. In a new blog post, Pocketpair explained that a patch in November removed certain gameplay features, and that an upcoming update will cull even more. “We have had to make certain compromises in order to avoid disruptions to the development and distribution of Palworld,” the studio says.

This started with a patch on November 30th, which most notably removed the ability to summon creatures by throwing a “Pal Sphere,” which is reminiscent of summoning pokémon with a Poké Ball. The studio adds that other changes were made, without specifying what they were.

“As many have speculated, these changes were indeed a result of the ongoing litigation,” Pocketpair explains. “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.”

More changes are coming, as well. Pocketpair says that the upcoming patch v0.5.5 will change how gliding works, as “gliding will be performed using a glider rather than with Pals.”

Despite the forced changes, Pocketpair says that “we remain committed to developing Palworld and delivering exciting new content to our fans.” Nintendo, meanwhile, is set to release the next major Pokémon game with Pokémon Legends: Z-A later this year.