Summary
- Following the latest update, players can no longer glide using Pals in Palworld and will now need a glider item instead.
- Pocketpair revealed that this change, along with several previous ones, resulted from Nintendo’s lawsuit.
- Pocketpair assures players that these adjustments are necessary to prevent further disruptions to development.
Following Palworld’s new update, gliding will now be performed using a glider instead of Pals. Developer Pocketpair has recently revealed that this and some of the changes it has introduced to Palworld in the past are the result of the ongoing patent lawsuit with Nintendo and The Pokemon Company. The developer apologized to players for implementing these changes and shed some light on the current situation of Palworld during the ongoing litigation.
Following its release in 2024, Palworld became massively successful, reaching 32 million players on various platforms by February 2025. Since its launch, players couldn’t help but draw comparisons between the indie title and the popular Pokemon franchise, due to some similarities between Pals and Pokemon and how players interact with them in its world. Even before Palworld’s release, many in the gaming community were already calling the game “Pokemon with guns.” What started as a funny joke turned into an actual legal issue when Nintendo and The Pokemon Company decided to sue Pocketpair over patent infringement. Now the studio has revealed some details about how the lawsuit has impacted the game so far.
Palworld's Dungeons May Hide a Strange Secret
The many dungeons of Palworld offer a challenge to players who enter them, but they may also share a secret beneficial to those who know it.
Palworld patch v0.5.5 introduces what may be a disappointing change for players, as the game no longer allows them to use their Pals as a glider—they will need a glider item to do this instead. Although Palworld’s Pals will still offer passive buffs to gliding, players will need to obtain this item in order to glide. In a statement on Twitter, Pocketpair explained this change, revealing to players that it stems from Nintendo’s ongoing patent infringement lawsuit against the studio. Pocketpair assured players that these are necessary steps it needs to take “in order to prevent further disruptions to the development of Palworld.”
Pocketpair also revealed that some changes introduced in the past were also the result of Nintendo’s lawsuit against Palworld. One patch, released in November 2024, changed the way players summoned Pals using Pal Spheres to a static summon next to the player—something fans suspected was related to the ongoing litigation.
The developer admitted its reluctance to apply these changes, but it seems to be the only way for Pocketpair to keep the game afloat amid the current situation. In April, Pocketpair presented a strong defense against Nintendo, though it seems the game was still forced to make these adjustments. Nevertheless, the developer reaffirmed its commitment to continue working on this issue and to deliver exciting content for Palworld’s players in the future.
Palworld Update 0.5.5 Patch Notes
Mechanics Adjustment
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The mechanics for gliding with a Pal have been changed.
- Until now, you could use certain Pals as a glider, however from this patch you will only be able to glide by using a glider.
- Glider Pals will now provide a new passive partner skill effect while gliding, but the player must have a glider equipped to actually glide.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 71 /100 Critics Rec: 58%
- Released
- January 19, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Violence
- Developer(s)
- Pocket Pair, Inc.
- Publisher(s)
- Pocket Pair, Inc.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Xbox Series X|S, pc
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Shooter, Survival
