From a plagiarism scandal to a 40-million hit: ‘Palworld’ goes into full release
After two and a half years of Early Access, record sales and a bitter legal battle with Nintendo, Palworld is set for full release on 10 July. The biggest content update to date is just around the corner.
For the gaming scene, 2024 began with an unexpected bombshell. On 19 January, the Japanese indie studio Pocketpair launched its game «Palworld» into Early Access. Almost overnight, the game became known as «‘Pokémon’ with weapons» and «– and the presumed next target of Nintendo’s legal department».
Suddenly, everyone wanted in on the action: within six days, more than eight million people had opened their wallets for «Palworld». At peak times, according to Steam according to SteamDB, more than 2.1 million players were exploring the world of Palpagos at the same time, catching Pokémon Pals and putting them to work in their bases.
Source: SteamDB
Despite the correctly predicted legal dispute with Nintendo, «Palworld» is still going strong. And it remains successful. Pocketpair has now announced a new milestone: «Palworld» has surpassed the 40 million player brand. However, this figure includes Game Pass users as well as regular sales. Nevertheless, it’s an impressive figure – and that’s just before the full release.
Following two and a half years of Early Access, the full release is scheduled for 10 July and will bring a wealth of new content. This is likely to give player numbers and sales another significant boost.
What can we expect from the full release?
Pocketpair has not yet published an official, detailed list of the new features planned for the release. At a reported 27 pages, it’s set to be quite lengthy: it’s said to be the most extensive update to date for «Palworld». On X, the company is teasing some new features, and the cinematic trailer, which was released in June, also offers some interesting insights. The update will not only bring a wealth of new content, but will also improve numerous existing mechanics.
Pocketpair is revamping the backstory and introducing corresponding missions for the first time. This includes the World Tree, which until now has towered unreachably into the sky beyond the map. With version 1.0, the region surrounding the World Tree will become accessible for the first time. In addition, there’s a new continent that could double the size of the game world. The existing game world is set to feel more vibrant thanks to improvements, such as new details like fishermen’s huts and mines.
Furthermore, Pocketpair is introducing «offshore building», so you’ll likely be able to build bases on or in the sea. New base structures, furniture and building components are set to provide more variety in base building.
Source: Pocketpair
You can also expect a number of new Pals to join the 215 already available, as well as new bosses. The existing Pal breeding system is also said to have been completely overhauled. For the first time, the genes of legendary Pals can be fused to breed new Legendaries. Changes are also being made to the nature reserves: they will be protected by barriers, drone patrols and stronger bosses. Furthermore, each will have its own ecosystem with exclusive materials.
There is set to be a complete overhaul of the raid mechanics. The studio felt the raid combat system was too predictable. The update is designed to ensure that old tactics no longer work. The new system is intended to provide more variety and fun. The situation is similar with the tower bosses. To defeat them, you’ll need to adapt to the changes.
How has the game changed since Early Access?
If you played Palworld «» at launch and haven’t logged in for a long time since, you’ve missed out on a few new features. Pocketpair has continued to work on the game.
A few months after launch, the company unlocked Raids. These are special boss battles against particularly powerful Pals. You must first summon them – and this can only be done at an altar in your base. But be careful: the boss can also damage your buildings. Rare resources and exclusive Pals await as rewards.
The Sakurajima update, released in June 2024, brought a wealth of new content, including the new Japanese-inspired island of Sakurajima. It introduced new Pals, new dungeons and a new faction. For endgame players, the update was particularly worthwhile as if thanks to the new oil rig faction stronghold, the raid boss Blazamut Ryu and the hard mode for tower bosses. PvP fans also had plenty to look forward to: The PvP Arena introduced the first-ever opportunity to compete against other players.
Source: Pocketpair
Half a year later, Pocketpair introduced the new Feybreak Island in the update of the same name. It is significantly larger than Sakurajima and brought with it new biomes, enemies and Pals, as well as another faction. With expeditions for Pals, a research system, bounty missions and a new Pal class – the Predator Pals – the update also introduced a whole host of new mechanics. Cross-play has been available since March 2025, allowing gamers on PC, PS5 and Xbox to play together.
In June 2025, Pocketpair released the ‘Tides of Terraria’ update, which is a collaboration with the game ‘ «’ Terraria». Alongside the new continent of Terraria Island, this update also introduced numerous new Pals, a new raid boss and creatures inspired by ‘ «’ Terraria». Since the update, you can also go fishing and recruit Zoe as a companion via the NPC. Furthermore, there are bases belonging to opposing factions throughout the game world.
Source: Pocketpair
The ‘Home Sweet Home’ update in winter 2025 brought plenty of new features for amateur architects. These include new building components and the ability to paint parts of your base as if using a paintbrush. New raid bosses and a raid arena – meaning you no longer have to summon the boss within your base – were also part of the update. In addition, the Steam Workshop has been unlocked since then, allowing you to easily install mods.
What’s the latest on the dispute with Nintendo?
We’ve reported on the legal dispute with Nintendo in a number of news articles. In brief: In September 2024, Nintendo sued Pocketpair. However, the lawsuit did not concern copyright infringements due to the similarity between Pals and Pokémon, but rather the infringement of patents relating to game mechanics.
Pocketpair, however, had no intention of backing down and fought back in court. Just a few days after the lawsuit became public, the studio made a surprise announcement that it would release «Palworld» on the PS5. In doing so, the studio made it clear that it intended to continue expanding its successful brand despite the legal dispute.
To avoid further potential issues, Pocketpair also adjusted some of the game’s mechanics. In particular, the company changed the way monsters are captured and replaced some gliding and flying mechanics.
The legal dispute remains unresolved as of July 2026, but Nintendo does not appear to be having much success. For example, a Japanese court dismissed a patent claim. What is particularly problematic about Nintendo’s lawsuit is that the company also cited patents that had not yet been officially registered, or which it had only filed after the release of «Palworld».
Pocketpair’s refusal to be intimidated is also demonstrated by another coup: at the end of 2024, the studio entered into a partnership with PUBG publisher Krafton to launch «Palworld» as an official version on smartphones, thereby further expanding its reach in the global market.
On 30 July, the studio is also launching its own collectable card game, «Palworld Official Card Game», which is reminiscent of Nintendo’s «Pokémon Trading Card Game». In any case, Pocketpair does not seem to have much respect for the Japanese industry giant.
Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.
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