Palworld 1.0 Quietly Redesigned Pals to Look Less Like Pokémon
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The 1.0 patch for Palworld quietly changed the look of several pals — Verdash, Grintale, Robinquill, and newcomer Hoodle. Kotaku reported that none of these tweaks are listed anywhere in the official patch notes, and a possible connection to the Nintendo-versus-Pocketpair lawsuit remains officially unconfirmed.
Which pals were affected
According to Kotaku (article dated July 11, 2026), at least four pals received a new design with the 1.0 release. Players and journalists had repeatedly compared specific pals to specific Pokémon in the past — and those are exactly the pals that got the touch-up:
- Verdash — per the outlet, the pal lost the fiery look that had previously drawn comparisons to the Pokémon Cinderace; it now reads as noticeably less “flame-themed.”
- Grintale — its facial features were altered enough to soften the resemblance to the Pokémon Perrserker that players had pointed out before.
- Robinquill — arguably got the most noticeable overhaul of the four; Kotaku called the earlier resemblance to the Pokémon Decidueye especially blatant.
- Hoodle — a brand-new pal added right in version 1.0; per the outlet’s observation, its design simultaneously evokes both Astro Bot and the Pokémon Mimikyu.
A quick summary of each pal:
| Pal | Previously compared to | What Kotaku says changed |
|---|---|---|
| Verdash | Cinderace | Lost the “fiery” look |
| Grintale | Perrserker | Facial features altered |
| Robinquill | Decidueye | Most noticeable overhaul of the four |
| Hoodle | Mimikyu (and Astro Bot) | New pal, resemblance remained |
Why none of this is in the patch notes
Per Kotaku, the design changes were not listed in the official 1.0 release patch notes. We independently checked the official “Palworld v1.0 - Official Release Changelog” document in Steam’s news feed — and indeed, none of the listed changes mention any alteration to pal appearance: only system and content updates are described there. In other words, players noticed the difference on their own, by comparing before-and-after screenshots and footage, not from any official changelog entry.
A possible link to the Nintendo–Pocketpair lawsuit
Pocketpair has never officially explained why exactly these pals received a new look. Kotaku speculates about a possible connection to the lawsuit that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed against Pocketpair over the resemblance between pal designs and Pokémon — but the developer itself has never confirmed this, so the link remains only a journalistic guess rather than an established fact.
Kotaku itself points out the weak spot in that theory: Hoodle, the new pal added in the very same 1.0 patch, itself looks similar to the Pokémon Mimikyu. If the goal of the redesigns was to shed any resemblance to Pokémon altogether, introducing yet another look-alike pal undercuts that logic.
What this means for players
For people already playing, the changes read like an ordinary appearance update — no announcement, no dedicated patch note explaining anything. If you’re planning to catch or breed these particular pals, it’s worth going by their current post-1.0 look rather than old early-access screenshots. We covered the general context of how Pocketpair typically frames and describes its updates in the guide on how Palworld updates work, and the version 1.0 launch out of early access itself is covered in the news piece on Palworld’s early access exit. The basic principles of finding and catching pals in the game are laid out in the guide to catching pals in Palworld.
Frequently asked questions
Which pals were affected by the design changes in version 1.0? Verdash, Grintale, Robinquill, and the new pal Hoodle — as observed by Kotaku.
Are these changes in the official patch notes? No. Neither a dedicated entry about design changes nor any mention of it made it into the official “Palworld v1.0 - Official Release Changelog” document.
Is this connected to Nintendo’s lawsuit against Pocketpair? Possibly, but it’s officially unconfirmed. Kotaku only speculates about such a link, and Pocketpair hasn’t commented on the reasons behind the changes.
Why does the lawsuit-connection theory look inconsistent? Because Hoodle, a new pal added in that same update, itself resembles the Pokémon Mimikyu — meaning the resemblance to Pokémon hasn’t fully disappeared.
In short
The 1.0 patch quietly changed the appearance of at least four Palworld pals, making them look less like specific Pokémon, but there’s no official write-up about it anywhere. A possible link to the Nintendo–Pocketpair lawsuit remains only Kotaku’s speculation, unconfirmed by the developer.
Frequently asked questions
Which pals were affected by the design changes in Palworld 1.0?
Verdash, Grintale, Robinquill, and the new pal Hoodle — as reported by Kotaku in its article dated July 11, 2026.
Are these changes mentioned in Palworld 1.0's official patch notes?
No. The document "Palworld v1.0 - Official Release Changelog" in Steam's news feed contains no mention of any pal appearance changes.
What exactly changed about Verdash?
According to Kotaku, the pal lost the fiery look that players had previously compared to the Pokémon Cinderace.
Did Pocketpair confirm a link between these changes and Nintendo's lawsuit?
No. The developer has never officially explained the reason for the redesigns — a connection to the Nintendo and The Pokémon Company lawsuit remains only Kotaku's speculation.
Why does the lawsuit-connection theory look inconsistent?
Because Hoodle, a new pal added in the same 1.0 patch, itself resembles both Astro Bot and the Pokémon Mimikyu, according to Kotaku — meaning the resemblance to Pokémon hasn't disappeared entirely.