Palworld Developers Reject 'Pokemon With Guns' Label

When you think of Palworld, the phrase "Pokemon with guns" might be the first thing that comes to mind. This label, which went viral when the game initially gained popularity, has been a double-edged sword for its developers at Pocketpair. While it certainly helped catapult Palworld into the spotlight, it also pigeonholed the game into a narrative that the team didn't fully embrace. In fact, John 'Bucky' Buckley, Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, shared during a talk at the Game Developers Conference that the team wasn't thrilled about the moniker.

Buckley elaborated on this in an interview, explaining that the original pitch for Palworld was never about Pokemon. Instead, the game drew inspiration from ARK: Survival Evolved. The development team, composed of ARK enthusiasts, aimed to expand on the survival and automation elements of ARK, giving each creature in Palworld unique personalities and abilities. However, after showcasing the game at Indie Live Expo in Japan in June 2021, Western media quickly branded it as "Pokemon with guns," a label that has stuck despite efforts to shake it off.

While Buckley acknowledges that the "Pokemon with guns" tagline did boost Palworld's visibility and success, he emphasizes that it doesn't accurately represent the game's essence. He points out that those who play the game will find it far from a mere Pokemon clone with firearms. Buckley hopes players give Palworld a fair chance before labeling it, as the game aims to offer a unique experience rather than just a mash-up of existing concepts.

Moreover, Buckley doesn't see Pokemon as a direct competitor to Palworld, suggesting that the audiences for the two games don't significantly overlap. He views ARK as a closer comparison, yet he doesn't believe Palworld is in direct competition with any game, including Helldivers 2, which saw significant crossover with Palworld's player base. Buckley dismisses the idea of competition in the gaming industry as largely manufactured, emphasizing that the real challenge is often timing of releases rather than direct rivalry between games.

If Buckley could have chosen a different tagline to go viral, he humorously suggested, "Palworld: It's Kind of Like ARK if ARK Met Factorio and Happy Tree Friends." While he admits it doesn't roll off the tongue as easily as "Pokemon with guns," it more accurately reflects the game's intended identity.

In the same interview, Buckley also touched on the possibility of Palworld coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, the potential for Pocketpair to be acquired, and more. For a detailed discussion on these topics, you can read the full interview [ttpp].