2024 has been a bit of a whirlwind for Pocketpair, with the incredible success of the developer’s debut titlePalworldcoming as a surprise even to them.The game’s record-breaking launchhelped to catapult the studio to the forefront of gaming discussions, leading to a huge influx of player feedback, bug reports, and media requests. “It’s hard to even remember everything that happened,” admits Pocketpair’s Global Community Manager John “Bucky” Buckley while speaking with Game Rant at this year’s Tokyo Game Show.
Nine months ago, Pocketpair only had around 30 employees and was practically unheard of outside of Japan. However, sincePalworldwas released back in January, the size of the studio has more than doubled, although aside from the office being a lot more crowded and a slight increase in expectations, the positive atmosphere within the organization remains largely the same. “What’s amazing is the culture of the company hasn’t really changed much,” explains Bucky, who believes that they were incredibly fortunate with their hiring during the company’s rapid expansion.
Given this explosive growth and the continued popularity ofPalworld, the decision to exhibit atthis year’s Tokyo Game Showwas a bit of a no-brainer for the Pocketpair team, who quickly set about creating one of the event’s most eye-catching booths. The vibrant displays and lively cosplayers served not only as a celebration ofPalworld’s success, but also a testament to the hard work and meticulous planning that has characterized the company’s rise to prominence. “It took us months of preparation,” reveals Bucky, who goes on to explain that many of the display elements showcased at TGS were trialed at similar events in China beforehand.
For those unaware, China is the largest market forPalworld, with around a third of the game’s PC players based there. Prior to the game’s early access launch, Bucky and the team had no idea that it would prove to be such a big hit with Chinese gamers, although they’re incredibly thankful that it has been nonetheless. “We went to two Chinese events this year and the support and love was absolutely amazing,” says Bucky, who believes thatPalworld’s rich survival elementsand long lifecycle may have had something to do with its popularity in the Chinese market.
“Our Chinese fans are incredible. We went to two Chinese events this year and the support and love was absolutely amazing. We definitely did not expect it, but we’re happy to enjoy it.”
It may seem a little strange to hear him describePalworldas a game with a long lifecycle given that it’s still in early access and was released less than a full year ago. However, the game has received regular updates since its early access launch in January and the team plans to continue supporting it until demand for more content finally dies down. They’re also looking at ways to further expand thePalworldIP beyond just sequels and spin-offs, as evidenced byPocketpair’s recently announced partnership with Sony Music and Aniplex.
Palworld’s Journey is Only Just Beginning
As for future content, there’s plenty to look forward to. “We’re going to drop another pretty substantial update later in the year, and then next year, we’re going to go hard on optimization. We’re still toying around with PvP, but it’s hard to crack that one,” Bucky says. Despite suggestions to the contrary,Pocketpair recently ruled out the prospect of the game adopting a free-to-play model, and although Bucky admits that the team is still thinking about ways to introduce things like new skins and cosmetics, they haven’t really put too much thought into implementing a battle pass system or developing paid DLC expansions just yet.
“As long as people keep playing it, we’ll keep making it.”
It hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Pocketpair though, withNintendo recently filing a lawsuit against the company for alleged patent infringement. Somewhat surprisingly, Bucky and the team received no prior warning in the buildup to the legal action and still haven’t been told which patent (or patents) they’re supposed to have infringed upon. Even so, they remain adamant that they won’t allow the Nintendo lawsuit to derail the future ofPalworld. “We refuse for any plans to be changed. We march on,” Bucky vows when asked whether the lawsuit would impact their upcoming plans.
How exactly the lawsuit will pan out is anybody’s guess, but it appears as though fans ofPalworldstill have plenty of reasons to be excited about the title’s future. With a clear vision for their game andPS5 sales ofPalworldalready off to a strong start, both Pocketpair and thePalworldIP seem poised for continued growth over the coming months and years. Put simply, the journey ofPalworldis just getting started, and if Bucky’s comments are anything to go by, fans of the game can look forward to a dynamic and ever-evolving experience in the years ahead.
Palworld
WHERE TO PLAY
Fight, farm, build and work alongside mysterious creatures called “Pals” in this completely new multiplayer, open world survival and crafting game!
