Developer Pocketpair announced that Palworld had surpassed 32 million players within its first year of launch. The figure covers gamers across all platforms, including Steam, PS5, and Xbox.
Japanese developer Pocketpair shared that Palworld attracted over 32 million players across all platforms thirteen months after its release. The developer clarified the number included players from the Xbox series, PS5, and PC.
Palworld accumulates 32 million a year after its launch amid a legal battle
The developer announced the game’s latest update, Palworld version V0.415, earlier today. The update fixes random crashes on Steam Deck and Xbox. The developer also added that they had reworked the Random Pal mode, fixed bugs, and made various adjustments to the game.
🎉Over 32 million Pal Tamers!🎉
It's been a year since Palworld was released, and thanks to you our fans, Palworld has surpassed over 32 million players across all platforms! (Steam, Xbox, PS5)
Thank you so much!
As always, your support means the world to us! pic.twitter.com/pSJXmLGoh8— Palworld (@Palworld_EN) February 19, 2025
Palworld community manager thanked fans for their support and promised the developers would continue to work hard to make Palworld even better in 2025.
The game was originally launched for PC and Xbox in January 2024 and received a PS5 edition in September. The game remained unfinished via early access on PC and Game Preview on Xbox. Pocketpair promised gamers that it would include ongoing updates and improvements to the game over time.
Palworld attracted two million players less than 24 hours after its launch, while its all-time concurrent player peak on Steam was two million. The game’s sales figures also revealed that over 5 million copies were sold three days after its launch.
Two weeks after its launch, the game recorded over nineteen million players on Xbox and PC. The game later arrived on Sony PS5 in September, where it expanded its player base.
Fans criticized the game’s designs after the launch, saying they were “lazy” and similar to Nintendo’s Pokemon designs. They coined the game as “Pokemon with guns,” drawing Nintendo’s attention to it.
Nintendo responded to the reviews, saying it would investigate and take appropriate measures against the developer. In September, Nintendo filed a lawsuit against Poketpair in which they accused the developer of patent infringement before a Tokyo court. The company demanded compensation for damages accrued and an injunction against further infringement.
Pocketpair responds to Nintendo’s patent infringement lawsuit
Pocketpair responded to the suit and vowed to fight back to ensure indie developers were not intimidated from pursuing their creative ideas. The developer commented that they were not informed of the specific patent laws they had infringed. It added that the company’s goal was to create fun games and promised to continue pursuing this goal despite the legal woes.
The developer expressed disappointment that they would be forced to allocate time and resources to matters unrelated to the game’s development. In November, Pocketpair revealed more details on the lawsuit, noting the suit related to patents filed by Nintendo between February and July 2024. The developer added these patents could be traced back to a pre-existing parent patent from December 2021. It said the patents cover gameplay mechanics like capturing and riding digital creatures.
Legal battles between Nintendo and Pocketpair reportedly delayed Palworld’s PS5 release in Japan by nine days. Nintendo is also said to have filed additional patent suits against the developer in the United States, including the latest one that surfaced in February.
The team outlined the game’s second-year road map as it turned one. The roadmap included a co-op crossplay and an ending scenario. Pocketpair shared that they had been updating the game since the start of early access and would continue to make the updates as they prepared for its official release. The developer also announced that the game’s soundtrack would be available for free on the Pocketpair channel.
The Palworld developer announced shortly after the game’s debut that it had founded a new company, Palword Entertainment. The new company is a joint venture between Pocketpair and Sony through its Sony Music Entertainment and Aniplex brand. The developer said the joint venture aimed to expand commercial business endeavors, including merchandising.
Pocketpair revealed that all merchandise would be sold through the Aniplex store and its product lineup would be announced soon.
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