John Buckley
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Palworld Developer is Thinking About How it Can Expand on the Game’s World
Pocketpair is considering expanding the Palworld universe with potential spin-off titles, including Palworld: Palfarm, while emphasizing that Palworld itself is not a live service game. The studio's head of publishing, John Buckley, stated that they are experimenting with new ideas to grow the game's world beyond its current scope, even after the successful 1.0 launch which introduced significant new content and Pals.
Palworld devs have "a few other little secret things in development" amid plans to "keep expanding"…
Pocketpair, the developer of Palworld, has revealed plans to continue expanding the game's universe with new spin-offs and secret projects in development. Following the successful 1.0 launch and the upcoming dating sim 'More Than Just Pals,' the company aims to grow the Palworld intellectual property further. Head of publishing John Buckley expressed confidence in the IP's potential for continued growth.
Palworld was originally a "factory game like Satisfactory" until it evolved into an open-world survival…
Palworld originally began development as a factory simulation game similar to Satisfactory, where players would manage creatures instead of machines. The concept evolved into its current open-world survival crafting genre, though elements of its factory sim origins remain, with Pals assisting in crafting and farming. Pocketpair's John Buckley shared these insights in a recent interview.
Palworld pulled in almost 900,000 players over the weekend, its second-highest peak ever
Palworld achieved its second-highest peak player count with nearly 900,000 concurrent players on Steam during its 1.0 launch weekend. Pocketpair's John Buckley expressed gratitude for the staggering turnout, which places the game among Steam's top performers. While players are enjoying the full release, some are requesting bug fixes for base building and Pal behavior systems.
Palworld devs "had high expectations for 1.0," but with over 855,000 concurrent Steam players, lead says…
Palworld has seen a significant resurgence in player count with the launch of its 1.0 version, reaching over 855,000 concurrent players on Steam. Pocketpair's head of publishing, John Buckley, expressed surprise at the staggering numbers, which place the game among Steam's top concurrent player peaks. This marks a substantial increase from its post-launch figures, though still below its early access peak.
Palworld dev celebrates "staggering" Steam response to 1.0, proving lightning can strike twice
Pocketpair is celebrating the successful 1.0 launch of Palworld, which has achieved a peak concurrent player count of over 855,000 on Steam. The developer expressed gratitude to players for their support, highlighting the game's continued popularity beyond its initial early access success. The update introduces new Pals, features, and story elements, with a discount currently available.
Palworld Nears 500,000 Concurrent Steam Players After Exiting Early Access
Palworld has officially launched its 1.0 version, exiting early access on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PC. The game has achieved over 485,000 concurrent players on Steam, with Pocketpair confirming over 40 million players total and maintaining the $29.99 price point. While future development is confirmed, a major update akin to No Man's Sky is unlikely due to engine limitations.
Palworld dev delivers "important" 1.0 mod warning - just turning them off "is not enough"
Developer Pocketpair has issued an important warning to Palworld players regarding mods ahead of the game's 1.0 launch. Simply disabling mods is not enough; players must manually remove all mod files and loaders to prevent crashes, save data corruption, and progression blocks. The developer also provided instructions on how to properly clean game files before updating.
Palworld celebrates 40M players since early access as it heads toward its July 10 1.0 launch
Palworld has surpassed 40 million players since its early access launch and is preparing for its 1.0 release on July 10th. Developer Pocketpair released a video address thanking players and summarizing past updates, while also hyping the upcoming full launch content.
Over 2 years since launch, Palworld hits 40 million players right before its 1.0 release, and now has over 8 million…
Pocketpair announced that Palworld has surpassed 40 million players across all platforms just before its 1.0 release on July 10. This milestone highlights the game's massive success since its Early Access launch over two years ago, with the survival game having previously reached 32 million players in February 2025. The developer thanked the community for their support, noting the game's significant growth and its impressive player count compared to historical Pokemon game sales.
Palworld lead says there's no "bad blood" between rival survival games like Valheim and Rust: "We all get along really well because we all have something in common!"
Pocketpair's John Buckley stated that there is no rivalry between survival game developers, emphasizing that they all share a common passion for the genre. This sentiment is highlighted by the "Super Survival Summer" bundle on Steam, featuring Palworld, Valheim, Rust, and other titles at a discounted price. Buckley also shared his personal involvement in curating the bundle as a side project.
Palworld 1.0 sounds massive as lead teases "27 pdf pages" of patch notes coming to Pocketpair's early…
Pocketpair's Palworld is set to leave early access on July 10, 2024, with its 1.0 update promising a massive amount of new content, including over 27 pages of patch notes. The update will introduce new areas, Pals, and narrative elements, with the developer recommending players start a fresh save file due to the extensive changes. Palworld 1.0 will be available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.
Arc Raiders and Marathon aren't "dead" just because their concurrent player count has dropped, Palworld lead says – but he's "not denying that some games do 'die'"
Pocketpair's John Buckley argues that games are not 'dead' simply because their concurrent player counts have dropped, emphasizing the importance of daily and monthly active users over peak concurrent numbers. While acknowledging that some live service games do fail, he believes many can sustain a healthy player base with just a few thousand daily players and criticizes the premature labeling of games as 'dead' for views.
Palworld studio says 'gamers don't want' AI in their games: 'It feels like everyone who is super gung-ho about it isn't from the industry'
Pocketpair's John Buckley stated that gamers do not want AI in their games, comparing the current enthusiasm for AI to early cryptocurrency trends. He believes that those heavily promoting AI in game development are outsiders looking for quick profit, though he acknowledges AI's utility as a search tool or coding assistant. Buckley emphasized that the company prioritizes its human artists and sees no reason to replace them with AI-generated assets, especially given the potential backlash.
Palworld Dev On AI: “Gamers Don’t Want It”
John Buckley, communications lead for Palworld developer Pocketpair, stated that gamers do not want AI in game development and that his studio has no plans to use it. He expressed skepticism about the longevity of the AI trend and questioned the value of replacing human artists with AI. The article also touches on Steam's AI disclosure policy and differing developer opinions on AI's impact.
'Gamers Don't Want It': Palworld Dev Against Generative AI as It Grows More Common in Games
John Buckley, head of publishing and communications at Pocketpair, stated that the studio behind Palworld is against the use of generative AI in game development. He believes gamers do not want AI-generated content and that its utility is questionable, contrasting with some Asian markets that are more willing to adopt the technology. Steam now requires disclosure of generative AI usage in game listings.
Palworld Developer Doesn’t Use Generative AI Because “Gamers Don’t Want It”
Pocketpair's John Buckley stated that the company does not use generative AI in game development because players are against it, calling current trends unsustainable. He believes that games should be assumed to be human-made unless otherwise stated, and expressed concern over a future where studios might need to add disclaimers. Buckley also mentioned that while some studios might use AI to save time, Pocketpair prefers to utilize its in-house artists.
"Gamers don't want it": Palworld lead says Pocketpair doesn't touch AI because players hate it and artists "like doing stuff themselves"
Pocketpair's John Buckley stated that the company avoids generative AI because gamers dislike it and their in-house artists prefer creating assets themselves. He believes the backlash against AI in games, exemplified by recent concerns at Summer Game Fest and Steam's disclosure policies, will continue. Buckley also noted regional differences in AI adoption, with Western markets being more resistant.
Why so many game developers don't want to use generative AI
Many game developers express strong reservations about using generative AI, citing ethical concerns, environmental impact, copyright issues, and job security risks. Despite some executives championing AI as a tool for efficiency, a significant portion of the industry views it as unproven, potentially harmful to creativity, and undesirable by players.
Nintendo’s amended infringement suit against Palworld may result in a ‘chump change’ payout
Nintendo's copyright infringement lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair is expected to yield minimal financial returns for Nintendo, according to legal analysis. The company amended its claims to focus on older versions of the game, significantly limiting potential damages to around $30,000 USD. Meanwhile, Pocketpair's John Buckley advises players to start fresh for the game's full release on July 10th due to fundamental changes.