Mario Bautista
Palworld is a shining example of the rare but fascinating instances where relatively obscure games can explode with success and popularity practically overnight. Originally released in January as one of the first real projects of its developer, Pocketpair, the familiarity, aesthetic, and satisfying gameplay loop of the game has seen it reach heights that would have been unimaginable prior to release.
However, the massive success of Palworld has drawn unwanted attention towards it as well, with the title’s stark similarities to other franchises like Pokemon already leading to some intense legal battles with Nintendo. The early-access status of Palworld and its serious legal issues make the future of the game and the wider IP an uncertain one, and yet Pocketpair clearly has no intentions of slowing down. It was recently announced that Palworld will be getting a dedicated mobile release, for example, and this particular move may just be too ambitious for the survival sandbox title.
Palworld May Be Flying Too Close to the Sun with Its Mobile Plans
Palworld’s success is a testament to the value and potential behind great indie game projects, with the likes of Lethal Company also finding success around the time of Palworld‘s release. Reportedly having a development budget of around $6 million, the game has gone on to make an estimated $500 million in its first year, making Palworld one of the most financially successful new franchises in recent memory.
This financial success came from the dedicated player base and community that has sprung up around Palworld, with the game possessing a staggering peak concurrent Steam player count of over 2 million players. While a lot of this early hype has predictably died down in more recent months, Palworld has absolutely established itself as a winning product, and its future ambitions are already starting to make themselves known.
It was recently announced that Palworld‘s developer, Pocketpair, has signed a deal with PUBG Studios for the creation of a Palworld project for mobile devices. It is unknown if this mobile version of Palworld will be drastically different from other platforms, but the upcoming project is reportedly aiming to capture the same addictive gameplay and charm of the original release. Of course, PUBG Studios has had extensive mobile development experience through PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds‘ mobile port, making it a qualified studio to recreate the feel of Palworld.
Palworld’s Lawsuits Call For a Slow and Measured Approach
However, Palworld‘s staggering success has come with its own pitfalls, with the game always drawing attention due to some of the striking similarities it shares with the Pokemon franchise. Not only does Palworld rely on the same monster-catching formula that saw Pokemon become so successful, but many of the game’s characters are very close in design to famous Pokemon figures, so much so that legal action has been taken. Nintendo recently filed a lawsuit against Palworld over a range of alleged patent violations, with the potential consequences that this may have on the game further down the line being unclear at this point.
This makes it even more surprising that Palworld is already publicly moving forward with its platform expansion plans, with this being a clear show of defiance against the high-profile legal action from Nintendo. Palworld itself has also not even left its early-access status, with the long-term viability of the game’s success being even more shadowy. A mobile release may be the perfect way for Palworld to revive its recent buzz across the industry, but Pocketpair may have been better off waiting for the result of its Nintendo lawsuit before going public with such lofty plans.
