Palworld Archives

AppWizard

January 8, 2026

‘Not bad for a dead game’: Palworld managed to get four nominations in Steam’s Best of 2025 Awards, including 2nd place for most played game

Hollow Knight: Silksong won the title of Best Game at the Steam Awards, while Palworld received four nominations and won four medals: Silver for Most Played and Most Played (Steam Deck), and Bronze for Top Seller and Controller Game. Palworld is still in early access after two years. The Palworld team expressed gratitude to their community and announced they are working on the official release of Palworld 1.0 this year, with a promise of upcoming news. A winter update in 2024 will introduce a new island, fresh resources, and innovative mechanics. Palworld is currently facing a copyright dispute with Nintendo over gameplay mechanics similar to Pokémon, leading to changes such as a patch that altered gliding mechanics. The development team remains grateful for community support despite the challenges.

AppWizard

December 5, 2025

Hytale lead isn’t putting his Minecraft competitor on Steam at launch because “everything is wrong” with it, and Palworld lead “totally” understands his hesitance

Simon Collins-Laflamme has reclaimed the rights to Hytale from Riot Games and has stated that the decision to not release the game on Steam at launch is due to his belief that "everything is wrong with the game." He plans to launch Hytale in early access on January 13, 2026, and will engage with the community for feedback during this phase. Collins-Laflamme acknowledges the current state of Hytale as "rough" but remains committed to improving the game. John 'Bucky' Buckley, a designer in the industry, supports Collins-Laflamme's transparency, emphasizing the importance of developers feeling confident about their products before release. The lead of Minecraft expressed enthusiasm for Hytale but noted the competitive landscape with many similar games available.

AppWizard

December 3, 2025

“Joke’s on you,” says No Man’s Sky lead as rival survival game confirms it’s replacing an eerily familiar cosmetic

Developer Starry Studio has introduced significant updates to the survival game Once Human, including a new class system, a PvP-centric Raid Zone, and a crossover with Palworld. A new decorative item in the game’s loot crates, specifically an exercise bike, has sparked controversy due to its similarities to the Base Teleport Module from No Man's Sky. Hello Games' Sean Murray responded humorously to the criticism, while Starry Studio confirmed it would remove the contentious item. The Thunder Overload cosmetic lineup features outfits and a weapon skin that transforms the SKS into a mechanical dragon. Earlier this year, Once Human was also accused of borrowing design elements from Rainbow Six Siege. Starry Studio has pledged to replace the disputed asset and review their art and design policies, emphasizing the importance of originality and community feedback.

AppWizard

November 30, 2025

Palworld publishing boss says ‘I haven’t really touched so-called AAA titles’, adding that they tend to be ‘overwhelmingly about graphic quality and fidelity’

Pocketpair, the studio behind Palworld, focuses on indie games, including projects like Normal Fishing and Never Grave. John Buckley, the publishing manager, expresses a passion for indie games, highlighting their innovative mechanics and diverse gameplay compared to AAA titles, which he finds less interesting in terms of gameplay. He notes that the indie scene offers more creative freedom and unique concepts that diverge from mainstream offerings. The definition of "indie" is evolving, with titles like Clair Obscur receiving nominations for indie of the year, expanding the conversation about what constitutes a good game.

AppWizard

November 23, 2025

New dark fantasy looter shooter mixes dungeon crawling, corporate greed, and the co-op magic of Peak and Lethal Company

Vision Quest is a dark fantasy looter shooter game developed by Wizmud Games, set in a consumer goods conglomerate mega dungeon. Players embark on an online co-op adventure to investigate "data mining used for dark rituals" and redeem the legendary Sweepstakes Code. The game supports squads of up to four players and features a mix of medieval and modern weapons. It includes 3D in-world voice chat and a unique loot-carrying mechanic. Players face various threats, including monsters and illness, and can assist each other with items. If a player dies, they can control a plastic toy called a 'Freakopop' for additional vision. Wizmud Games has partnered with Pocketpair for marketing and promotions, and Vision Quest is set to launch in 2026, with a wishlist available on Steam.

AppWizard

October 22, 2025

Palworld studio Pocketpair says its new publishing division won’t handle games that use generative AI: ‘We don’t believe in it’

Pocketpair has launched its own publishing division, receiving over 150 pitches for publishing deals in the first week. John Buckley, head of Pocketpair Publishing, stated the division will honor developers' creative autonomy and focus on exceptional games for a global audience. The company has taken a firm stance against projects incorporating generative AI, with Buckley expressing that they do not believe in it and are upfront about their position. Despite facing skepticism regarding their claims of not using generative AI, Buckley aims to maintain transparency without engaging in conflict with critics. The gaming community is cautious about generative AI, with past instances of companies denying AI usage only to later admit to it.

AppWizard

October 20, 2025

From Fortnite to Palworld, the AWS outage has ruined plenty of gamers’ mornings

A significant outage at Amazon Web Services (AWS) began on October 20, 2023, at 3 AM PT, affecting multiple online platforms and games, including Fortnite, Palworld, Roblox, Rocket League, Hell Let Loose, Rematch, and Ark: Survival Evolved. The outage has lasted approximately three hours, impacting millions globally. AWS reported "significant signs of recovery" and is addressing a backlog of requests.

AppWizard

September 29, 2025

One of 2024’s forgotten survival games is hitting 1.0, dropping DLC, and revealing who build the pyramids

The discussion aboard a canal boat centered on the construction of the pyramids, with some participants favoring the theory of slave labor while developer Campfire Studio proposed an imaginative theory involving aliens for their upcoming DLC for Soulmask. The game has attracted 700,000 players during its early access phase, with 80% positive reviews on Steam. The full release of version 1.0 is scheduled for Q4 2025 and will introduce three gameplay modes: Survival, Management, and Hero. Enhancements to the tribe AI will allow voice recognition commands. The Egyptian DLC will feature gameplay-altering masks, anti-gravity solar ships, and new survival challenges. The current early access price is .99 / £17.49, reflecting a 30% discount.

AppWizard

September 25, 2025

Palworld is teaming up with one of its biggest survival rivals for a new collaboration

Palworld is collaborating with Once Human for a special event set to begin on October 30, featuring a new island map exclusive to the collaboration. Players can engage with Pals, including new characters like Cattiva, Chillet, and Chillet Ignis, and encounter Once Human bosses. All collaboration Pals will be available for free. The collaboration is one-sided, with no Once Human content coming to Palworld. Players can participate in the event for free on Steam and should check system requirements and codes for Once Human to enhance their experience.

AppWizard

September 19, 2025

Nintendo reportedly gets even more obnoxious about patent law by taking a ‘mods aren’t real games’ stance against a Dark Souls 3 mod that could invalidate its Palworld lawsuit

Nintendo initiated a patent lawsuit against Pocketpair, the developer of Palworld, and has intensified its focus on intellectual property enforcement. Pocketpair's defense strategy involves challenging Nintendo's patent claims by referencing prior art found in mods, which could potentially invalidate Nintendo's patent. However, Nintendo argues that mods do not qualify as prior art because they are not considered "real games." Under Japanese patent law, prior art includes inventions that are publicly known or worked prior to the patent application. Nintendo has a history of legal actions against modders, including issuing DMCA notices that resulted in the removal of content and the shutdown of multiplayer modding projects.