Palworld News

The Pokemon Company addresses the whole Palworld thing without actually mentioning, well, Palworld

Following what feels like years worth of debate on social media and in other places about Palworld and the fact that some aspects of it are a bit similar to Pokemon, the company responsible for the latter has issued a statement acknowledging it. Well, sort of.

We’ve already had some actual lawyers weigh in on the whole Palworld/Pokemon discourse - which has largely stemmed from the designs used for a few of the former’s models - earlier this week, providing some insight that’s a little bit less unhinged than the kind of armchair legal expert patter that’s been going on elsewhere. Now, The Pokemon Company has decided to say something, though it’s not a whole lot.

In a quite corporately-worded statement posted to its corporate website, the company wrote: “We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024.” No points for guessing which January release is being referred to there.

Is viral survival game sensation Palworld a fair parody of Pokémon or an act of plagiarism, potentially incorporating AI-generated fakémon? This is the argument that's consumed social media since Palworld's release, and while it seems like everyone has weighed in on the topic, The Pokémon Company itself maintained a dignified silence. Until now...
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Palworld is 2024's first breakout hit. Why is it so popular?

Like all overnight successes, Palworld's sudden emergence as 2024's first bona-fide viral hit has a much longer history. If you're wondering why this slightly jank Pokémon-aping survival sim suddenly took over every feed going, in the process racing to 7 million sales and counting, then the answer has a ton of elements to it: though maybe the "Pokémon with guns" tagline is a good place to begin...
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The best Palworld mods so far and how to install them

Palworld mods are already racing out the gate to expand options and tweak gameplay in the year's biggest surprise hit so far...
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Palworld struggled to find a dev with shooter experience in Japan before stumbling on a self-taught hobbyist who worked at a convenience store

Only five days post-launch, Palworld has sold over seven million copies and become the second game ever to log over two million concurrent players on Steam. Its unexpectedly absurd level of success has led to much speculation over the source of its appeal—as well as some condemnation—but the notion that it's "Pokémon with guns," while not exactly accurate, must be at least part of the answer...
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