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Palworld Crushes 40 Million Players Before 1.0 Launch in July

Emily Chen 0 comments 4 min read
Palworld Crushes 40 Million Players Before 1.0 Launch in July

Palworld has crossed 40 million players as developer Pocketpair prepares to launch version 1.0 on July 10, marking a major milestone for the early access phenomenon that has dominated gaming since January 2024.

The 40 million figure encompasses players across multiple platforms, including Steam, PlayStation 5, and Microsoft's Game Pass subscription service, where the game remains available. The number reflects reach rather than direct sales, though Palworld has already established itself as a commercial powerhouse on PC.

Pocketpair's early access period proved so successful that studio head Takuro Mizobe acknowledged the developer struggled to manage the scale of the profits generated. The studio capitalized on the momentum by partnering with Sony to create Palworld Entertainment, a dedicated entity tasked with expanding the franchise beyond the base game. That collaboration led to the PlayStation 5 port.

The game's explosive growth drew inevitable comparisons to Pokemon, with critics arguing Pocketpair had borrowed too heavily from established designs. Rather than pursue copyright claims, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company filed a patent infringement lawsuit, seeking 5 million yen per party plus damages and an injunction that would prevent Palworld's continued operation. A ruling is expected later this year.

The 1.0 release will bring substantial changes. John Buckley, head of publishing and communications at Pocketpair, revealed the patch notes span 27 pages and include mechanical overhauls plus new content additions. Players can carry their existing save files forward into 1.0, though Buckley advised starting fresh to experience the redesigned systems properly.

"Players can continue their existing saves if they wish, as we want to respect the time and effort you have put in," Buckley said in a Discord announcement. "However, due to the large number of changes to the game, including overhauls to mechanics and new content, we believe that starting a new character will give you the best experience of Palworld."

Pocketpair acknowledged the community's role in sustaining the game through its extended early access window. The studio said in a social media post that Palworld "has grown alongside our community" over the past two and a half years.

Author Emily Chen: "Palworld's 1.0 launch represents a defining moment for a game that caught the industry by surprise, and those patent troubles loom large over what should be a triumphant release."

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