Palworld is ditching Pokeball-style summoning mechanics due to legal battle with Nintendo

Developer Palworld Pocket Pair has released an update to the creature-catching survival game, removing the ability to summon creatures by throwing Pokeball-style Pal Orbs – all while the company continues to fight a patent infringement lawsuit against Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.

As detailed in the Palworld v0.3.11 patch notes, the latest update to Pocket Pal means it is no longer possible to summon a captured creature to a specific location by aiming and throwing a Pal Sphere. Instead, Buddies are now summoned right next to players when they are in hand. Additionally, the UI reticle is now only displayed while aiming.

While Pocket Pair has yet to explain the reason for the changes, it is notable that the update comes amid the studio’s ongoing legal battle with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Back in September, Nintendo announced it was suing Pocket Pair for infringing “multiple” patents, and it was later confirmed that the lawsuit covered three patents in particular. These primarily cover throwing an object in a specific direction to summon a fighting character or catch a creature on the field, a mechanic that Palworld shared with Pokémon at launch.

Nintendo is seeking an injunction against Palworld, as well as a fine of 10 million yen (about £50,000) and “damages for late payment.” However, Pocket Pair has vowed to fight Nintendo’s claims, insisting that it will “continue to assert its position in this matter through future litigation.” There has been no official confirmation that today’s changes are related to the lawsuit, but Eurogamer has contacted Pocket Pair for comment.

However, Palworld’s development continues, and Pocket Pair has promised that it will be present at The Game Awards this week. “You won’t want to miss this!” — the studio wrote in a message published on social networks.