Palworld: Beyond AAA Remains Unanswered

Palworld's significant financial triumph could boost devs Pocketpair's next game to “beyond AAA” status; however, CEO Takuro Mizobe has detailed a different strategic path for the studio. Read on to learn more about his remarks.

Palworld Profits Could Make Pocketpair Go 'Beyond AAA' If They DesiredPocketpair Focused on Indie Games and Community Engagement

Creature-catch survival game sensation Palworld has been hugely successful for its developer, Pocketpair, with profits dramatically increasing so that the studio's next game could potentially exceed "AAA," aka high-profile, high-budget games, benchmarks. However, Pocketpair's CEO, Takuro Mizobe, has reiterated a clear lack of interest in pursuing such ventures.

In a recent interview with GameSpark, Mizobe stated that Palworld's sales are in "the tens of billions of yen." To put this in context, 10 billion Japanese Yen is approximately 68.57 million USD. Despite the substantial earnings, he felt that Pocketpair is not prepared to manage the scope of a game that would utilize all the revenue from Palworld.

Mizobe disclosed that Palworld was developed using the revenue from Pocketpair's previous games, Craftopia and Overdungeon. However, this time with a significant budget in the studio's possession, Mizobe chose not to seize the opportunity, particularly at what seems an early stage in their company's development.

"If we were to develop our next game based on these proceeds, as we have done in the past, not only would the scale surpass AAA, but we wouldn’t be able to manage this given our organization’s current structure," Mizobe stated. He further noted that he doesn't envision any game he'd want to create with a massive budget and prefers to pursue projects that are "intriguing as indie games."

The studio intends to explore its potential while preserving a smaller, "indie" scale. Mizobe highlighted that global AAA game trends have made it increasingly challenging to develop a successful title with a large team. Conversely, the indie gaming sector is thriving, with "enhanced game engines and industry circumstances" that allow developers to launch globally successful games without extensive operations. Pocketpair's growth, according to Mizobe, is largely attributable to the indie game community, and the company expressed its desire to contribute to this community.

Palworld to Expand to 'Different Mediums'

Earlier this year, Mizobe also noted that Pocketpair isn't keen on expanding its workforce or upgrading to more luxurious offices, despite its financial success. Instead, their focus will be on broadening the Palworld IP through other media.

Palworld, still in early access, has already earned praise from fans for its captivating gameplay and significant updates since its release earlier this year. Recent updates include the much-anticipated PvP arena mode and a new island in the Sakurajima major update. Furthermore, Pocketpair recently established Palworld Entertainment in partnership with Sony to manage global licensing and merchandising related to Palworld beyond the game itself.