Summary
Palworldis 2024’s biggest gaming surprise. Although there was some early excitement online about the game with its “Pokemon with guns” moniker, nobody could have foreseen itselling three million copies in just two daysand havingover two million concurrent players on Steamat its peak.
The game’s success didn’t just shock online audiences, either. The Pocketpair team told TheGamer atTokyo Game Showthat Palworld’s early numbers “Pleasantly surprised” them.
Palworld’s Launch Even Surprised Its Development Team
In a rare one-on-one interview, the Pocketpair team shared their delight at how Palworld launched.
“We were pleasantly surprised by Palworld’s early success,” they said, adding, “More than anything, though, we are grateful that players embraced this new experience. The unique concept resonated with many players, and our focus on listening to feedback and growing alongside our community played a big part in its success.”
Rather than focusing on sudden spikes in concurrent players, we value sustained support and the growth of our community.
With Palworld’s average player count now settling at amuch more reasonable 17,000, online audiences have dubbed the game “dead”, something Pocketpair strongly disagrees with.
“We are very satisfied with the current player base. Palworld is a game that allows players to enjoy at their own pace, andwe aim for long-term growth. Rather than focusing on sudden spikes in concurrent players, we value sustained support and the growth of our community.”
Palworld’s early numbers, despite impressive, weren’t always a positive thing. A few days after launch,plagiarism accusations arose, leading Pocketpair’s CEO to share thatthe team had received abuseand its community manager to share they’dreceived death threats. It was this success that reportedly led Nintendo and The Pokemon Company to file a lawsuit against the Japanese developers, claiming the game “infringes multiple patent rights.” DespitePocketpair claiming they will fight NintendoandPalworld fans rallying around them, analysts have suggested thatthe lawsuit will “end badly” for the defendants.
You can readour full Palworld interview here, including details ofan animeanda sequel, or lack thereof.
Palworld
WHERE TO PLAY
Palworld has been described as Pokemon with guns and well, it’s hard to argue with that. The game is very similar in nature to the Pokemon formula, tasking you with catching and working with monsters called Pals. There are key differences, though. Palworld is rooted in multiplayer, oh, and, unlike Pokemon, its Pals have guns.
