Palworld's Unexpected Path: From Massive Success to Indie Focus

Pocketpair, the developer behind the wildly successful Palworld, has amassed significant profits, potentially enough to fund a "beyond AAA" title. However, CEO Takuro Mizobe has revealed a different strategic direction for the studio. This article delves into his reasoning.

Pocketpair Prioritizes Indie Development and Community Support

Palworld's phenomenal success has generated tens of billions of yen in revenue (tens of millions of USD). Despite this windfall, Mizobe clarified that Pocketpair isn't structured to handle a project of that magnitude.

Mizobe explained that Palworld's development was funded by profits from previous titles, Craftopia and Overdungeon. While the current financial success could easily propel them into the "beyond AAA" realm, he believes the company isn't yet ready for such a massive undertaking.

"Scaling beyond AAA isn't feasible given our current organizational structure," Mizobe stated in a GameSpark interview. He emphasized a preference for "interesting indie games" over large-budget projects. The studio intends to explore its potential within the indie space, leveraging improved game engines and favorable industry conditions to achieve global reach without a massive team. Mizobe credits the indie community for Pocketpair's growth and aims to reciprocate that support.

Expanding Palworld Beyond the Game

Earlier this year, Mizobe also stated that Pocketpair won't be expanding its team or upgrading its facilities despite its financial success. Instead, the focus is on expanding the Palworld IP through various mediums.

Palworld, currently in early access, has received significant praise for its gameplay and consistent updates, including a PvP arena and the recent Sakurajima island addition. Furthermore, Pocketpair has established Palworld Entertainment in partnership with Sony to manage global licensing and merchandising.