Palworld modders ban links to Pokemon mod in fear of Nintendo “nuke”
X/ToastedPalworld’s modding community has blacklisted the viral Pokemon mod over fears of a takedown from Nintendo.
Palworld’s interesting blend of creature collection and survival mechanics has rocketed the game to record-breaking success on Steam. The overnight sensation has been so popular at launch that Epic’s servers are struggling to keep up with the demand of over 4 million players.
Affectionately referred to by players as ‘Pokemon with guns’, some fans of Game Freak’s monster-catching juggernaut have decried the game as a “ripoff”. Modders however have leaned into the comparison and replaced Palworld’s legally distinct Pals with actual Pokemon.
Unfortunately, after footage of Palworld’s Pokemon mod went viral, moderators in the increasingly popular Palworld Modding Discord had to take action. Initially spotted by GamesRadar+, it appears there are fears of legal repercussions from the famously litigious Nintendo.
Moderators elaborated on the decision in a pinned post to the Announcements board on the Palworld Modding Discord. The primary concern appears to be the potential danger it presents to the newly emerging community.
“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 post explained. “The mod is highly likely using ripped assets and is very illegal in Nintendo’s eyes.”
The concern is understandable given how many Pokemon fan projects have been targeted and taken down by Nintendo. There have also been DMCA cases in which conversations from Discord have been used as evidence in court.
To avoid any trouble, the Palworld Modding Discord no longer allows any links or associated files to be provided on their server. Doing so results in a “permanent ban” though, in the spirit of fun, memes and discussion of Palworld’s Pokemon Mod are still permitted.
X/Toasted“We realize that this is a very harsh action, but this is something we cannot afford to take lightly,” the moderator conceded. “This server really grew overnight and we see a lot of potential with this community. I’ve personally seen a lot of helpful posts in here and I’d really hate for it all to disappear.”
While the Pokemon mod for Palworld can’t be accessed via the Palworld Modding Discord or Subreddit, we’re sure if you look hard enough, you’ll be able to find it.