Palworld: AAA Redefined

Palworld's Unexpected Path: Indie Spirit Over AAA Ambition

Pocketpair, the developer behind the wildly successful Palworld, has amassed considerable profits, potentially enough to create a game surpassing AAA standards. However, CEO Takuro Mizobe has reiterated the studio's commitment to its indie roots, rejecting the allure of a massive, AAA-scale project.

GameSpark's recent interview revealed Palworld's sales in the "tens of billions of yen" (tens of millions of USD). Despite this windfall, Mizobe believes Pocketpair lacks the organizational structure to manage a project of that magnitude. He explained that Palworld's development was funded by profits from previous titles, Craftopia and Overdungeon, but this time, the studio will take a different approach.

Mizobe stated that scaling up to a "beyond AAA" project would overstretch the company's current capabilities. He prefers to focus on projects that thrive as indie games, leveraging the advantages of improved game engines and a thriving indie market. This allows for global reach without the overhead of a large team, a factor he highlighted as increasingly challenging in the AAA space. Pocketpair's success, he emphasized, is deeply connected to the indie gaming community, and the studio aims to give back.

Instead of expanding its team or upgrading facilities, Pocketpair plans to expand the Palworld IP into other media. This aligns with Mizobe's previous statements about maintaining a smaller, agile team.

Palworld, currently in early access, continues to receive significant updates, including a PvP arena and the Sakurajima island expansion. Furthermore, the recently established Palworld Entertainment, a collaboration with Sony, will manage global licensing and merchandising.

Pocketpair's decision highlights a unique perspective in the gaming industry, prioritizing creative freedom and community engagement over the pressures and complexities of AAA game development.