The legal dispute between The Pokémon Company and the creators of Palworld continues to escalate. With the new patch, you can no longer glide through the air with the help of your Pals.
It was clear from the moment the survival crafting game Palworld was first announced that it bore significant similarities to the well-known Pokémon series. In both games, you explore open worlds, catch cute monsters, evolve them, and battle them against each other.
So it came as little surprise when the Pokémon Company, the parent company behind Pikachu and co., decided in September 2024 to sue Palworld studio Pocketpair for alleged patent infringements.
The ongoing legal proceedings have now had a direct impact on Palworld’s gameplay for the second time. In order to refute some of the Pokémon Company’s key legal arguments, the Palworld creators have now revised another element of their game.
After summoning Pals by throwing Pal Spheres, or Poké Balls, was removed in December, the new patch v0.5.5 has now made gliding Pals a thing of the past. Previously, it was possible to glide through the air (without gaining altitude) in Palworld with the help of some Pals.
From now on, you will need to carry a glider in your inventory to glide. However, it will still be possible to fly on certain Pals.
Everyone here was disappointed
On Twitter, the Palworld developers shared a lengthy statement apologizing to players for the inconvenience and providing an update on the ongoing legal proceedings:
Regarding the lawsuit, changes to Palworld and the future]
We would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for the continued support of our fans over the past few months. We apologize for not being able to share as much information as we would like, but we trust…
— Palworld (@Palworld_EN) May 8, 2025
Link to Twitter content
We would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for the continued support of our fans over the past few months. […] We are currently involved in a lengthy legal process regarding alleged patent infringements. We continue to dispute these claims, […] but have had to make certain compromises to avoid interrupting the development and distribution of Palworld.
In addition, we regret to inform our players that with the release of patch v0.5.5, we have had to make another compromise: from now on, gliding will be performed with a glider and no longer with the help of Pals. Pals in the player’s team will continue to grant passive buffs for gliding, but players will now need to have a glider in their inventory to be able to glide.
We understand that this will be disappointing for many players, as it is for us, but we hope that our fans understand that these changes are necessary to avoid further disruption to the development of Palworld. We remain committed to the development of Palworld and to bringing exciting new content to our fans.
– Pocketpair
With these changes, the Japanese studio is likely trying to preempt legal action such as a preliminary injunction to halt distribution of Palworld. Removing the controversial elements from the game for the time being would render the subject of the lawsuit moot.
However, Palworld will also lose its gun-wielding Pokémon character, which helped make the survival game so popular. The legal proceedings between The Pokémon Company and Pocketpair are still ongoing, and the outcome is uncertain.
News, Palworld, Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, Roleplaying game, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, POCKET Pair Inc.
