Palworld developers at Pocketpair showed off gliding six months prior to Nintendo’s original patent application caused drama

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Last week, Pocketpair, the developers behind Palworld, officially acknowledged that the gliding feature with companions would no longer be part of the game due to a lawsuit over patent infringement ongoing in Japan. This alteration will occur with update version 0.5.5.

Even though it’s not the first or last time this mechanic is being adjusted, we’ve previously mentioned that Nintendo has filed patent applications after the release of Palworld.

However, I felt compelled to pass on an intriguing piece of information from GameFray, our colleagues, who have meticulously traced back the timeline of when Palworld unveiled this specific mechanic in their game. Interestingly, it turns out that it was implemented a full six months before Nintendo applied for the patent associated with this feature.

Palworld showed off Pal gliding in June 2021

The GamesFray report reveals that during Indie Live Expo in June 2021, Pocketpair demonstrated an early look at Palworld. In the footage, they exhibit riding and flying on creatures, suggesting that Pocketpair developed these mechanics independently prior to Nintendo’s patent application in December 2021 (Patent No. 7528390).

Remarkably, this patent, which concerns the seamless switching of rideable objects within a game, was granted to Nintendo even though they didn’t apply for it until 2024 – following Palworld’s release. This is lawful because Nintendo can link its 2024 claim to the original patent from 2021 (the ‘parent patent’). However, this video evidence shows that Pocketpair demonstrated the mechanic before the parent patent date.

Will this help Pocketpair against Nintendo?

  • Watch above from 1:47:26 to see the full clip.

The video from Palworld doesn’t automatically disprove Nintendo’s patent, as it doesn’t show the specific technical details as defined by Nintendo, but it does imply that Nintendo’s version of the mechanism may not be as groundbreaking as they suggest, since any developer could potentially figure out how to implement it.

The earliest date Nintendo can utilize in court for their patent claims is December 22, 2021, based on their application from June 2021 and earlier filings. The Palworld video, however, was released before this date, making it a valid piece of prior art.

This evidence, along with Pocketpair’s defense using examples of games featuring similar mechanics (such as Zelda and ARK: Survival Evolved), significantly weakens Nintendo’s case.

Despite the ongoing legal challenges in Japan, Nintendo continues to apply for the same patents in the US, indicating their intention to also bring this issue before U.S. courts.

If Palworld is successful, can they bring back the mechanics they have removed?

Currently, Pocketpair is opting for a cautious approach, making changes to essential elements to minimize potential risks, even though they had previously demonstrated these features well ahead of Nintendo’s projected release in 2024.

With the implementation of update 0.3.11, a notable adjustment was made that took away the option to toss a Pal character to a specific location. This alteration was made in response to a lawsuit, which led to temporary spawning problems and left players feeling frustrated, as they attributed these disruptions to Nintendo.

Concerning the ongoing lawsuit, adjustments to Palworld, and our future plans:

We’d like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to our fans who have stood by us during the past few months. We regret not being able to disclose as much information as we’d prefer, but we ask for your understanding and patience as we navigate through this situation…May 8, 2025

Just like the gliding update is described as “another compromise” by Pocketpair, one might say it represents a middle ground solution. If Pocketpair manages to win its case, there’s a chance these adjustments could be undone, but the timeframe for resolving the disagreement remains unclear.

During this period, making these alterations redirects resources and prolongs the project duration, which affects other planned projects such as the expected Tides of Terraria update scheduled for release this summer.

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2025-05-15 15:39