Palworld dev says 'a game without a multiplayer mode just doesn’t feel right in the era we live today'

GamesSurvival & CraftingPalworldPalworld dev says ‘a game without a multiplayer mode just doesn’t feel right in the era we live today’When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Pocketpair)

Palworld - A player stands in front of Zoe & Grizzbolt in their party

2024 has so far seen two breakout hits and, while they’re very different prospects, both share some elements in common. Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2 is the current flavour of the moment, while just before that we sawthe huge success of PocketPair’s Palworld. It might not seem the two have much crossover, but both are built around an irreverent multiplayer take on popular genres, extraction shooters and survival games, and the sense of community both have managed to foster feels key to their appeal.

PocketPair CEO and Palworld creator Takuro Mizobe has givenan interview to Bloomberg, in which he muses over some of the reasons behind the game becoming such a smash. The 35 year-old Mizobe describes the current environment as one where a game must be fun to watch as well as play, and where multiplayer elements are essential: Pokémon is the most oft-cited inspiration, but Mizobe credits the game’s design to ideas lifted from several titles including ARK: Survival Evolved, Factorio and RimWorld. And once you have the foundation, then you start adding personality like… dead Pals?

“In Palworld, the bodies of defeated Pals remain in the game, meaninglessly,” says Mizobe. “Typically, when you kill monsters or enemies, they either disappear or linger to be looted. Colleagues were against leaving useless bodies in the game, but I pushed it through because I thought players would find a way to play with and talk about it.”

Mizobe seems hyper-conscious that success, in Palworld’s case at least, has come from the game being a conversation starter ever since it was first revealed. From its first trailers the “Pokémon with guns” label stuck and, even though the game itself doesn’t play anything like a Pokémon title, that surface similarity combined with dissonant notes like the dead Pal bodies gave it an odd quality that seemed to delight players en masse: the game, which sells for $30, had more than 25 million players in a month (albeit a chunk of these are on Xbox Game Pass).

The unusual art style is also, Mizobe believes, a part of the appeal, and was down to switching technologies during development. Palworld began with the team using anime-inspired creature assets from the Unity store, before development moved onto Epic’s Unreal Engine and its more faux-photorealistic style: finding common ground was one of the hardest bits of the game’s development, says Mizobe, but worth it for the way it surprised players.

“Games are most fun when playing with friends,” says Mizobe. “A game without a multiplayer mode just doesn’t feel right in the era we live today.”

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

Palworld is currently looking forbeta testers for future content, though PocketPair has been careful to dial-down players’ expectations as much as it can. The odd elements that Mizobe flags definitely persist: whether that’s the developer itselfapologising for inadvertently fixing a bug, orplayers infinitely mounting then butcheringthe same helpless creature for parts (after which their corpse remains in-game, of course). Palworld inspires a lot of comparisons, but Mizobe has a point: there just isn’t much else like it.

More about survival craftingSorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our faultAfter 15 years, Minecraft has finally added two new pig variations: The warm pig and the cold pig, meaning I can delete one mod off my list

More about survival crafting

Sorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our faultAfter 15 years, Minecraft has finally added two new pig variations: The warm pig and the cold pig, meaning I can delete one mod off my list

Herobrine standing in front of a foggy forest

Sorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our fault

New warm and cold pigs

After 15 years, Minecraft has finally added two new pig variations: The warm pig and the cold pig, meaning I can delete one mod off my list

Latest

Double headed wizard man holding arms up looking sad

See more latest►

Most PopularFinal Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their altsTikTok’s time in the US may be ticking to a close as it makes a last stand in the Supreme Court, though Trump now says he ‘opposes banning’ itMSI intros cheaper ‘back connect’ Project Zero Intel motherboards for super-clean PC builds you might actually be able to affordThermaltake’s new 2000 W PSU is too powerful to be sold in the USA and comes with four PCIe 5.0 GPU power connectorsAMD accuses Intel’s Arrow Lake of being a ‘horrible’ product and implies a lack of options for consumers has caused the Ryzen 7 9800X3D shortageThis Jinx-inspired gaming PC is my favorite of CES 2025 and I’m head over heels for the hardwareHarrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us RemakeTencent says it’s not a Chinese military company and is willing to sue the US Department of Defense if it isn’t removed from a blacklistAll Zenless Zone Zero 1.5 livestream codesAsus reveals three new Slash Travel Bags for carting around your ROG Ally—however, none of them are particularly fashion forwardToday’s Wordle answer for Friday, January 10

Most Popular

Final Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their alts

TikTok’s time in the US may be ticking to a close as it makes a last stand in the Supreme Court, though Trump now says he ‘opposes banning’ it

MSI intros cheaper ‘back connect’ Project Zero Intel motherboards for super-clean PC builds you might actually be able to afford

Thermaltake’s new 2000 W PSU is too powerful to be sold in the USA and comes with four PCIe 5.0 GPU power connectors

AMD accuses Intel’s Arrow Lake of being a ‘horrible’ product and implies a lack of options for consumers has caused the Ryzen 7 9800X3D shortage

This Jinx-inspired gaming PC is my favorite of CES 2025 and I’m head over heels for the hardware

Harrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us Remake

Tencent says it’s not a Chinese military company and is willing to sue the US Department of Defense if it isn’t removed from a blacklist

All Zenless Zone Zero 1.5 livestream codes

Asus reveals three new Slash Travel Bags for carting around your ROG Ally—however, none of them are particularly fashion forward

Today’s Wordle answer for Friday, January 10

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals