Pocketpair’s v1.0.3 update, released around August 11 to 12, 2026, does not add a single Pal, island or story chapter. What it does is cut the friction players hit a month after the 1.0 launch on July 10: water building arrives 43 levels earlier, Jetragon gear comes 9 levels earlier, and the World Tree Holy Water loop gets a rework. The console build is labeled 1.101.283.

Key takeaways
  • Aquatic Construction Kit now unlocks at level 23 for 1 Ancient Technology Point, down from level 66 and 4 points.
  • Jetragon technologies unlock at level 70 instead of 79, and Missile Launcher AI Cores drop from 24 to 12.
  • Holy Water weighs 0.1 instead of 1, lasts longer, and drops from far more sources.
  • Tree fiber is doubled and the crude oil chain is cheaper and faster.
  • Server hosts get a new setting for enemy camp spawns near bases.
Palworld v1.0.3 changes: Aquatic Construction Kit unlocks at level 23, Jetragon tech at level 70, Holy Water weight cut from 1 to 0.1
The main numbers in Palworld v1.0.3, from the patch notes. Graphic: KiwamiGG.

Water building moves from late game to mid game

The Aquatic Construction Kit is the technology that lets you build on the ocean. Its unlock level falls from 66 to 23 and its Ancient Technology Point cost from 4 to 1, with reduced materials and work amount. Locking water building behind level 66 never fit a base-building game where creative layouts are a main draw. At level 23 players reach it while they are still experimenting with bases, so offshore plans that were a late-game luxury are now a mid-game option.

Jetragon arrives sooner and costs less

Jetragon technologies now unlock at level 70 rather than 79. The Pal Gear needed to ride it is cheaper, and the Missile Launcher AI Cores required drop from 24 to 12. The notes also shift key materials away from endgame-only Paloxite bottlenecks. Nine levels sounds small, but late-game experience requirements climb steeply, so the practical saving is larger than the number suggests. It makes one of the game’s most wanted flying mounts a goal for players who are not yet near the level cap.

The World Tree Holy Water rework

Holy Water is the item that gates World Tree resource farming and Paloxite ingot refining, so progress there depends on a steady supply. The supply was the complaint, and the patch changes every route to get it:

  • Weight drops from 1 to 0.1, so it stops eating inventory space.
  • Duration is longer, and using it now plays a sound effect.
  • It is now a reward from World Tree expeditions, World Tree fishing and the Large Fishing Pond.
  • Drops from Pals in the World Tree area are higher, as is the yield from Teafant Spring.

Buffing every source at once is Pocketpair effectively acknowledging that the original acquisition rate was too low. If you built your Holy Water income around Teafant Spring alone, it is worth adding expeditions and the fishing pond.

Crafting and economy tweaks

  • Fiber from trees is doubled, easing early and mid-game board and roof recipes.
  • Crude Oil Extractor, High-Pressure Crude Oil Extractor and Large Power Generator cost less to build, and oil production is faster. High-Pressure extractors now also count for the Crude Oil Extractor base mission.
  • The Ancient Armor series has its crafting work amount adjusted.

New dedicated server setting

Hosts gain bAllowEnemyCampSpawnNearBaseCamp. When enabled, the game stops suppressing enemy camp spawns near player bases. The default stays suppressed, so bases remain safe unless you opt in. It suits servers that want a more aggressive shared world.

Bug and exploit fixes

The patch fixes a long list of issues. The ones most likely to affect you:

  • A Sunreach progression blocker, where removing the barrier before accepting the main mission locked progress.
  • An item duplication exploit, and corrected Moon Lord and Ultra Raid Boss reward tables.
  • Unintended Fast Travel during Tower Boss fights on dedicated servers, and rapidly vibrating Pals on dedicated-server clients.
  • Summoned Pals stopping mid-fight or abandoning base work, and Alpha Surfent not producing Leather at the Ranch.
  • A missing Sphere Launcher fire interval that allowed rapid-fire abuse, and stair and slanted-roof placement detection.
  • Platform crashes: a PS5 parental-controls Global Palbox crash and Xbox One crashes near World Tree field bosses.

What to do after updating

  1. Recheck the Technology menu for the Aquatic Construction Kit (level 23) and Jetragon gear (level 70).
  2. Rebuild Holy Water income around expeditions and the Large Fishing Pond, not only Teafant Spring.
  3. Recalculate oil base costs, since the extractors are cheaper.
  4. If you host a server, decide whether to enable the enemy camp setting.
  5. Test vertical builds, because stair placement detection was fixed.

Palworld Online is a separate product

On August 3, Garena announced Palworld Online, a Pocketpair-licensed mobile MMO. It is a different product from the PC and console game that received this patch, and none of the 1.0.3 changes apply to it.

Bottom line

If the endgame grind pushed you away, v1.0.3 is the first patch that removes much of it. The changes add no new content, and that is the point. A month after launch the loudest feedback was about friction, and this patch answers it directly.

What level do you unlock the Aquatic Construction Kit in Palworld?

Level 23 after v1.0.3, for 1 Ancient Technology Point. It was level 66 and 4 points before.

What level does Jetragon unlock in Palworld?

Jetragon technologies unlock at level 70 after v1.0.3, down from level 79.

How do you get World Tree Holy Water now?

From World Tree expeditions, World Tree fishing, the Large Fishing Pond, Pals in the World Tree area and Teafant Spring. It also weighs 0.1 instead of 1.

Did Palworld v1.0.3 add new Pals or areas?

No. It is a balance and quality-of-life patch with no new Pals, islands or story regions.

Sources

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