Palworld Going Free-To-Play? Developer Weighs Bold, Yet 'Difficult' Move

The developer of Palworld, Pocketpair, is considering a potential shift to a free-to-play model for its popular survival crafting game.

Since its launch on Steam for $30 earlier this year, Palworld has achieved significant success, drawing comparisons to Pokémon due to its creature-collection mechanics. With its massive player base, the game quickly rose to the top charts on Steam and was also made available on Xbox and PC Game Pass.

Despite this success, Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe revealed in an interview with ASCII Japan (translated by Automaton) that the company is considering a live-service, free-to-play model to sustain the game’s profitability over the long term.

See Also: From Meme To Mainstream: Palworld Celebrates 25 Million Players Despite (Or Because?) Of Pokémon Plagiarism Controversy

"Making Palworld a live-service game would extend its lifespan and make it more stable in terms of profitability," Mizobe explained.

However, Mizobe acknowledged that the game was not originally designed with live-service in mind, presenting challenges for such a transition.

"It's common for live-service games to be F2P with paid elements such as skins and battle passes, but Palworld is a B2P game, so it's difficult to turn it into a live-service game from the ground up," Mizobe said.

Various games successfully made the switch, such as Fall Guys and PUBG, but Mizobe noted that these transitions took years and involved significant effort. "While I understand that the live-service model is good for business, it's not that easy," he added.

Player Concerns And Future Plans

If Pocketpair does decide to move Palworld to a free-to-play model, it could spark backlash from players who have already paid for the game. Although Palworld remains in early access and further changes are expected, existing players may not welcome a sudden shift to a monetized free-to-play structure.

In addition to gameplay changes, Pocketpair is working with Sony Group Corp. SONY to form a new business called Palworld Entertainment, which focuses on licensing and merchandising the Palworld brand. The partnership is aimed at expanding the franchise beyond gaming into areas like merchandise and music.

Pocketpair has also teased a potential PlayStation launch for Palworld at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show, running from September 26 to 29.

Read Next:

• Palworld’ Success Overwhelms: ‘Too Big for Our Studio,’ But Pocketpair Open To Acquisitions