By Sagar V. Mankar Palworld has exploded onto the gaming scene, amassing over 12 million sales on Steam and 7 million Xbox players.
Let’s look at its milestones and future plans.
By the Numbers: Palworld’s Insane Debut
Indie developer Pocketpair struck gold with Palworld’s launch in January 2024.
The monster-taming survival game has topped charts and drawn huge crowds:
- 12+ million copies sold on Steam
- 7+ million Xbox players, including Game Pass
- Xbox’s biggest third-party Game Pass debut ever
- Nearly 3 million concurrent Xbox users at peak
These stats cement Palworld as a viral sensation.
It’s rare for a new IP from a small studio to attract such a massive audience immediately.
Updated (21st Feb 2024) – 15 million copies on Steam, and 10 million players of the Xbox Series, total of 25 million.
Social Buzz Drives FOMO
As crowds flocked to Palworld, FOMO (fear of missing out) kicked in.
Seeing clips and memes about the game overrun social media pressured players to join so they wouldn’t be left out.
Streamers showcasing the hijinks further stoked the hype.
Pokémon Similarities Strike a Chord
While Palworld distinguishes itself as a survival game, its creature collecting and battling draws obvious inspiration from Pokémon.
This mixture of monster taming and crafting gameplay caters perfectly to fans of both genres.
The art style and pal designs also leverage Pokémon nostalgia and cuteness, making recruitment addictive.
Legal Troubles Brewing with The Pokémon Company
However, Palworld’s explosion hasn’t been without backlash.
Many cite its similarities to Pokémon, down to the creature designs.
The Pokémon Company is now investigating potential copyright infringement.
While Pocketpair denies plagiarism, legal action could impact Palworld’s future.
Nintendo is known for being fiercely protective of its IP.