Palworld 1.0 Reworks 4 Pals as Nintendo Lawsuit Shadows 72-New-Pal Update

Q: Will players have to abandon their old worlds for Palworld's massive 1.0 update tomorrow?

No. Players will not be forced to abandon their old worlds when Palworld leaves early access on July 10. Pocketpair has said existing save files will remain compatible with the 1.0 release, so players can keep their current characters, bases, Pals, and overall progress. For current owners, the full release arrives as a free update on PC, Xbox, and PS5, with no mandatory save wipe attached. That said, the studio is strongly recommending a fresh start. The reason is the scale of the 1.0 overhaul: new regions, new Pals, updated story content, reworked Tower bosses, new traversal and building options, and broader progression changes. Developers have indicated that the update is so extensive that starting over will provide the smoothest and most complete experience. For players who want both continuity and a fresh run, Pocketpair has also pointed to the new Global Palbox system, which lets players transfer their tamed Pals into a new world. That gives returning players a way to restart without losing their favorite creatures. So the practical answer is simple: your old world is safe, but Palworld’s developers think a new save is the better way to experience version 1.0.

3 articles · Updated · Kotaku · Jul 11

At least four existing Pals were quietly redesigned in Palworld 1.0, with players spotting changes that make several creatures look less like specific Pokémon.
Pocketpair did not mention the redesigns in the patch notes or explain them publicly, but the timing points to scrutiny from its ongoing legal fight with Nintendo over Palworld.
Fans highlighted especially close earlier similarities between Robinquill and Decidueye, while Grintale and other Pals also drew comparisons before the update.
The unannounced edits landed inside a much larger 1.0 release that added 72 new Pals, new locations and a higher level cap after Palworld surged to 725,000 concurrent Steam players.