At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) last month, we had the opportunity to sit down with John "Bucky" Buckley, the communications director and publishing manager for Palworld developer Pocketpair. This conversation followed Buckley's insightful talk at the conference titled "Community Management Summit: A Palworld Roller Coaster: Surviving the Drop," where he openly discussed the challenges Palworld faced, including accusations of using generative AI and copying Pokémon models, both of which Pocketpair has debunked and the accuser retracted. Buckley also touched on the unexpected patent infringement lawsuit from Nintendo, describing it as a "shock" to the studio.

Given the depth of Buckley's insights into Pocketpair's community struggles and successes, we decided to share our full extended interview here. For those interested in shorter summaries, you can find Buckley's thoughts on potential Palworld releases for the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio's reaction to being labeled "Pokémon with guns," and whether Pocketpair would ever consider acquisition at the provided links.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity:

IGN: Let's start with the lawsuit you mentioned in your GDC talk. Has it impacted Pocketpair's ability to update and move forward with Palworld?

John Buckley: The lawsuit hasn't made it harder to update the game or move forward. It's more of a constant presence that affects our morale. While it hasn't directly affected development, it's certainly weighed on the team. Legal matters are handled by the top executives, so it's mostly a morale issue for the rest of us.

IGN: In your talk, you seemed to dislike the "Pokémon with guns" moniker. Why is that?

Buckley: Many think that was our goal from the start, but it wasn't. Our vision was to create a game like ARK: Survival Evolved, with more automation and unique creatures. We wanted to give each creature more personality and abilities, not just replicate Pokémon with guns. That label came after our first trailer, and while it helped get attention, it misrepresents what the game is actually about.

IGN: You mentioned not understanding why Palworld took off so quickly. Do you think the "Pokémon with guns" label contributed to this?

Buckley: It definitely played a role. The label fueled interest, but it's frustrating when people assume that's all the game is without playing it. We'd prefer if people gave it a chance first.

IGN: How would you have described Palworld if you could choose the moniker?

Buckley: I'd say it's like "ARK meets Factorio and Happy Tree Friends." It captures the automation, survival, and quirky elements better.

IGN: You also talked about accusations of using AI in Palworld's art. How did that impact your team?

Buckley: It was a massive blow, especially for our artists, particularly our Pal concept artists. These accusations are baseless and upsetting, especially since our artists prefer to stay out of the public eye. We released an art book to counter these claims, but it hasn't fully resolved the issue.

IGN: The industry is grappling with generative AI. Do you think people are good at spotting AI-generated art?

Buckley: Some claims against us are hollow. They stem from a misunderstood comment by our CEO and a party game we developed called AI: Art Imposter. These have been misinterpreted as endorsements of AI, which they're not.

IGN: What's your take on the state of online gaming communities and the role of social media?

Buckley: Social media is crucial for us, especially in Asian markets. While it can be intense, we understand the emotional reactions from players. However, death threats are beyond the pale and illogical. We're committed to fixing issues, and we wish players would be more sympathetic to our efforts.

IGN: Do you think social media is getting worse?

Buckley: There's a trend where people say controversial things for reactions. Luckily, Palworld has mostly avoided political and social controversies, focusing more on gameplay feedback.

IGN: You mentioned that the majority of the criticism came from Western audiences. Why do you think that is?

Buckley: It's hard to say. In Japan, we're quite divisive, but the intense reactions, including death threats, were mostly in English. Perhaps it was easier to target us at that time, but it's calmed down significantly.

Palworld Screens

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IGN: Palworld was incredibly successful. Has this changed how Pocketpair operates?

Buckley: It's changed our future plans, but not the studio's core culture. We're hiring more developers and artists to speed up development, but we're trying to keep the company culture intact. Our CEO wants to keep the team size manageable, around 70 people.

IGN: Did you expect this level of success?

Buckley: We knew it was a good game, but not that it would be this big. A million sales for an indie game is a huge success, and we're still trying to process the surreal numbers we're seeing now.

IGN: Will Pocketpair support Palworld for the long term?

Buckley: Absolutely. Palworld is here to stay, though we're not sure what form it will take. We're also working on other projects like Craftopia and supporting new ideas within the company.

IGN: There was some confusion about a partnership with Sony. Can you clarify?

Buckley: We're not owned by Sony. That misunderstanding persists, but our CEO would never allow an acquisition. He values independence and doing things his way.

IGN: Do you see Pokémon as a competitor?

Buckley: Not really. Our audiences and systems are different. We were more focused on other survival games like Nightingale and Enshrouded. Competition in games is often manufactured, and we're more concerned with timing our releases well.

IGN: Would you consider releasing Palworld on the Switch?

Buckley: If we could optimize it for the Switch, we would. We're also waiting to see the specs for the Switch 2. Our optimization for the Steam Deck was successful, so we're open to more handheld platforms.

IGN: What's your message to those who misunderstand Palworld without playing it?

Buckley: I think a lot of people misunderstand the game based on news and drama. My advice is to play it. We should consider releasing a demo to give people a taste of what the game really is. It's not what many think, and we're not the scummy company some believe us to be. Last year was exceptional for gaming, and emotions ran high, but we're a dedicated team trying to do well by our players.