Palworld Faces Backlash and Legal Battle Over Nintendo Patent Claims

Japanese developer Pocket Pair has removed the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres in their game Palworld, following a lawsuit from Nintendo over patent infringement. The update now requires players to summon Pals by holding the Pal Sphere, a change speculated to avoid legal issues due to similarities with Nintendo's Pokemon series. Nintendo's lawsuit seeks damages and an injunction to remove Palworld from the market, citing specific patents related to gameplay mechanics. The change has been unpopular with fans who used the previous method strategically.