By Sagar V. Mankar 
Palworld, developed by a small indie studio Pocketpair, has exploded onto the gaming scene, amassing over 19 million sales on Steam and Xbox.
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
- It became the Xbox’s biggest third-party Game Pass debut ever
- Nearly 3 million concurrent Xbox users at peak
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, a 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/Nintendo 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.