Pokemon Palworld mod reveals iconic characters & players are divided

Emily Stander
Ash Ketchum in Palworld

A Pokemon mod for Palworld has been made only four days after the game’s release, but players are divided about it. 

Palworld is a new early-access survival game where players can rescue pals – creatures that resemble animals – and use them for a multitude of tasks, fighting, and even food. The game has hit Steam’s highest concurrent players ever only four days after release, proving to be quite popular among gamers. 

Some players have called Palworld out for being a Pokemon rip-off, as the two franchises have a lot of similarities between them. Despite this call-out, however, a player has made a mod that puts Ash, Pikachu, and other Pokemon characters into the world. 

Pocketpair, the developers of Palworld, have not officially released mod support. As a result, the Pokemon mod has been added to the game through a backdoor in the code. 

Some players were, however, confused as to why someone would add the mod to the game. The main concern seemed to be that if they wanted to play Pokemon, they would rather do so instead of inserting the Pokemon into Palworld

“The one thing that feels new and refreshing is the part that it’s not Pokemon, and honestly has more in common with Ark than Pokemon,” a fan commented on a Reddit thread discussing the subject.

Some fans, though, were excited about the possibilities of Pokemon in the Palworld universe, despite the concern that Nintendo might not be happy about the prospect of Pokemon being used in another game like this.

Youtuber Toasted Shoes released a video on X (formerly Twitter) demonstrating how the mod works in-game. Players assume the role of Ash Ketchum in Palworld, and play through the game in the style of Pokemon. 

Toasted has also announced they will be releasing a full video on January 23, 2024 that will fully demonstrate the mod. Viewers are hoping that a link to the mod will be included here. 

If you want some guides on how to play Palworld in the meantime, check out how to farm coal and where to find the best quartz.

Related Topics

About The Author

Emily is a Games Writer at CharlieIntel. Most of the time, you can find her playing RPGs and platformers - but she enjoys engaging in the rage of Overwatch 2 or Apex Legends from time to time. Emily has a Masters in Media Studies and has been working as a journalist for over 5 years, both freelance and full-time. You can contact her at [email protected]