Palworld: Where Gaming Boundaries Fade

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

Pocketpair, the developer behind the wildly successful Palworld, has amassed significant profits—tens of billions of yen, according to CEO Takuro Mizobe. This financial windfall could easily fund a "beyond AAA" title, yet Mizobe has publicly stated the studio will not pursue that route.

Instead of scaling to a massive AAA studio, Pocketpair intends to remain focused on the indie development model. Mizobe cited the challenges of AAA development, including the difficulty of creating a hit with a large team, and the current booming indie game market fueled by improved game engines and industry conditions. He highlighted the indie community's crucial role in Pocketpair's success and expressed a desire to give back.

Mizobe explained that Palworld's development was funded by profits from previous titles, Craftopia and Overdungeon. While the current financial success could easily fund a much larger project, he believes the studio isn't structurally ready for such a massive undertaking. He prefers to pursue projects that are "interesting as indie games," allowing for continued organic growth.

"If we were to develop our next game based on these proceeds," Mizobe stated, "the scale would go beyond AAA, but we wouldn’t be able to keep up...we aren’t structured for something like that at all."

Rather than expanding their team or upgrading facilities, Pocketpair plans to expand the Palworld IP through various mediums. The early access game continues to receive significant updates, including a PvP arena and a new island in the recent Sakurajima update. Furthermore, a partnership with Sony has resulted in the creation of Palworld Entertainment to manage global licensing and merchandising. This strategic approach allows Pocketpair to leverage Palworld's success while remaining true to its indie roots.