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

Palworld's Unexpected Path: Beyond AAA, Towards Indie Innovation

Pocketpair, the studio behind the wildly successful Palworld, has amassed considerable profits, potentially enough to create a game exceeding AAA standards. However, CEO Takuro Mizobe has revealed a different strategic direction. This article delves into his reasoning.

Pocketpair: Prioritizing Indie Development and Community

Palworld's phenomenal success has generated tens of billions of yen in revenue (tens of millions of USD). Despite this windfall, Mizobe clarified that Pocketpair isn't structured to manage a project of that magnitude.

He explained that Palworld's development leveraged profits from previous titles, Craftopia and Overdungeon. While the current financial success presents an opportunity to create an even larger game, Mizobe opted against it, citing the company's current organizational limitations.

"Scaling up to a beyond-AAA project isn't feasible given our current organizational maturity," Mizobe stated in a recent GameSpark interview. He emphasized a preference for "interesting indie games" over massive budget titles.

The studio plans to explore its potential within the indie development sphere, leveraging improved game engines and favorable industry conditions. Mizobe highlighted the indie gaming community's pivotal role in Pocketpair's growth, expressing a desire to reciprocate this support.

Palworld's Expansion into New Avenues

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

Palworld, currently in early access, has received positive feedback for its gameplay and consistent updates, including a PvP arena and the Sakurajima island. Furthermore, Pocketpair established Palworld Entertainment in partnership with Sony, managing global licensing and merchandising efforts.