Palworld mods rush to avoid Nintendo as the Pokemon takedowns start

January 23, 2024, 03:15 PT: ToastedShoes has provided PCGamesN with a comment, which you can read below

The Palworld modding community is already in disarray thanks to Pokemon mods, with Nintendo copyright striking videos, and modders themselves distancing projects containing Nintendo IPs.

Palworld mods are going to be everywhere eventually. The sales of the survival game keep climbing rapidly as around a million play the game at any one time on Steam alone, and with the Pokemon comparisons, people are already starting to combine the two within Palworld itself.

With footage of a Palworld Pokemon mod making the rounds, we can see this happening before our eyes. Shown off by ‘ToastedShoes’ on Twitter/X, the mod very quickly garnered massive attention before the video was “disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner.” ToastedShoes then posted a follow-up saying “Nintendo has come for me,” suggesting that the Pokemon brand owner disabled the video.

That’s not all though, as some sort of Pokemon Ash Palworld mod was put under “moderation review” over on Nexus Mods, suggesting that it’s not just Nintendo that is clamping down on mods for the Pocketpair game. The Palworld Nexus Mods page does contain plenty of other mods though, from general fixes to changing mechanics. It just appears that this Pokemon one has been removed so far.

I’ve reached out to both ToastedShoes and Nexus Mods for comment and will follow up if I receive a response.

ToastedShoes has sent PCGamesN the following statement:

“The DMCA came directly from the Pokemon Company so I can confirm that. We are still proceeding with posting the video today showcasing the mods but will comply with any further copyright claims from Nintendo.

“In relation to the mods themselves, we are planning on completing the mod pack and releasing it for free to the public. However due to recent events that might never see the light of day. We are staying optimistic as I believe everyone should be able to enjoy the mods.”

On top of this, the growing Palworld modding community even set up its own Discord, and the very first announcement on the page pertains to Pokemon mod content and ToastedShoes’ work in Palworld.

“While the memes and such are hilarious, the mod alone hosts a giant risk to the community and we’ll need to take precautions so that Nintendo’s lawyers don’t nuke all of us with litigious actions. The mod is highly likely using ripped assets and is very illegal in Nintendo’s eyes,” ‘Archery 100’ says (spotted by GamesRadar).

The Discord also says users can’t post any links or resources around the mod either, adding that this is “something we cannot afford to take lightly.” Users can still discuss Pokemon and the mod itself, but anything else will result in an immediate ban.

As one might have expected, anything to do with Pokemon in Palworld has caused immediate chaos and scrambling. No one wants to be Nintendo’s next target, so they’re doing whatever they can to mitigate Pokemon content.

If you’re playing the game in the meantime and want some help, we’ve put together a comprehensive Palworld guide alongside the best ways to get Palworld Paldium fragments and a breakdown of the Palworld map.

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