Palworld Won't Answer the Question 'What's Beyond AAA?'

Palworld's massive success has positioned Pocketpair to potentially create a game surpassing even AAA standards. However, CEO Takuro Mizobe has outlined a different path for the studio. Read on to discover his reasoning.

Palworld's Profits: A "Beyond AAA" Opportunity Declined

Pocketpair's Focus: Indie Games and Community Support

The creature-catching survival game, Palworld, has been a phenomenal success for developer Pocketpair, generating tens of billions of yen in profit (approximately tens of millions of USD). This windfall could easily fund a project exceeding AAA game production values. Yet, CEO Takuro Mizobe has reiterated his disinterest in pursuing such a large-scale endeavor.

In a GameSpark interview, Mizobe explained that while Palworld's sales are substantial, Pocketpair isn't currently structured to manage a project of that magnitude. He highlighted that Palworld's development was financed by profits from previous titles, Craftopia and Overdungeon. Despite the current financial success, he believes scaling up prematurely would be detrimental to the company's growth.

Mizobe stated, "If we were to develop our next game based on these proceeds, the scale would surpass AAA, but we wouldn't be able to keep up organizationally. We aren't structured for something like that." He prefers projects that remain engaging within the indie game space, aiming to explore the possibilities of smaller-scale development. He believes the current challenges in AAA development, coupled with the booming indie market and improved game engines, offer a more sustainable and rewarding path for Pocketpair. The studio's growth, Mizobe emphasizes, is largely thanks to the indie community, and they aim to give back.

Palworld's Future: Expanding Beyond the Game

Mizobe previously stated that Pocketpair won't be expanding its team or upgrading its offices. Instead, their focus is on diversifying the Palworld IP through various mediums.

Palworld, currently in early access, has received considerable praise for its gameplay and consistent updates, including the recent PvP arena and the Sakurajima island expansion. Furthermore, Pocketpair has established Palworld Entertainment in collaboration with Sony to manage global licensing and merchandising.