Palworld’s Devs Are Tired of Being Boxed in by the ‘Pokemon With Guns’ Label

by

In no time at all, people on the internet started calling Palworld by a specific name – “Pokemon with Guns.” However, the developers have grown weary of this label.

Initially, it was quick, peculiar, and unquestionably catchy, sparking a viral sensation that significantly boosted the game’s popularity, even among those who hadn’t watched a trailer. Yet, despite the passage of time since its introduction, the team at Pocketpair continues to grapple with a tag they never sought.

During his GDC 2025 presentation, John Buckley – communications director at Pocketpair – spoke candidly about the subject at hand. He reminisced about the time when Palworld was unveiled during the Indie Live Expo held in Japan back in 2021.

Initially, there was a humble unveiling that displayed a survival game featuring creatures boasting unique characters and capable of managing autonomous systems. In no time at all, the expression “characters from Pokémon armed with weapons” could be found everywhere.

According to Buckley’s account, the team’s nickname gained momentum too quickly for them to establish their own identity in the game. He stated that by as early as 2021, they were labeled as a “predetermined franchise” along with guns, and he acknowledged that this label persisted much longer than they anticipated.

Despite the fact that the phrase might have grabbed people’s attention, Buckley made it clear that it wasn’t included in the original pitch and definitely not how the creators imagined their game would be described.

As per Buckley’s statement, the team was primarily interested in ARK: Survival Evolved rather than any games from Nintendo’s collection. Previously, Pocketpair had experimented with survival aspects in Craftopia, but Palworld was intended to further enhance those systems, with a focus on automation, managing creatures, and survival.

The aim was to create a universe where every being (or character) had a unique personality and specific function. To put it another way, Buckley’s idea could be summarized as follows: “Let’s develop something similar to ARK, but with more emphasis on automation, and each creature is its own one-of-a-kind entity.” The goal was to emphasize work, survival, and collaboration rather than combat sequences or genetic progression.

Buckley recognizes that the internet is swift and analogies aid in communicating fresh concepts. The issue isn’t with the meme itself; rather, it’s the fact that numerous players continue to view the comparison as a reflection of the gameplay. However, what the team finds troubling is that this resemblance is merely skin-deep imitation, and it couldn’t be more different from what the game aims to achieve.

“If people want to say that after playing, that’s fine,” he noted. “But we’d rather everyone give it a bit of a chance first.”

Additionally, it’s important to note that there’s a legal aspect involved as well. In the latter part of 2024, Palworld faced a lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, alleging potential breaches of patents and designs.

Buckley characterized the day as “disheartening,” pointing out that numerous individuals at the studio were dedicated Pokémon enthusiasts. Even though certain alterations were implemented in the game’s summoning process, the uproar around the issue persisted and intensified further.

Even though Pocketpair might not view themselves as being in direct competition with Pokémon, it’s clear to me as a fan that there are differences between the two. As Buckley stated, the audiences for these games don’t necessarily overlap. In fact, he mentioned that their player base has more in common with enthusiasts of games like Helldivers 2 rather than Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

If given an opportunity to reshape history, Buckley humorously proposes that he would title the event something akin to “ARK combined with Factorio, infused with a touch of Happy Tree Friends.” While it may lack in catchiness, this description is likely a better reflection of reality.

Actually, it’s clear that PocketPair is thinking about the future. They’ve initiated a fresh publishing endeavor and hinted at a horror production in progress. However, wherever they may venture, they continue to grapple with their catchy slogan that went viral.

It has been both beneficial and limiting for them – on one hand, it opened doors to widespread acceptance, but on the other, it pigeonholed them in a group they didn’t choose to belong to.

Read More

2025-04-11 06:42