Despite its substantial following, the creature-collecting survival game Palworld has sparked heated debates among both developers and fans. However, according to John ‘Bucky’ Buckley, the global community manager at Pocketpair, the backlash has little effect on the game’s overall success. In a recent online update, he addressed a fan labeling the negative sentiments around Palworld as merely “performative.” He stated, “My life is Palworld 24/7, and I promise you, you only ever see people ranting about it on Twitter and Bluesky,” underscoring that it’s merely a way to generate views online. “It’s an easy 500k views, which is why it’ll always be topical to whinge about. It is what it is.”
My life is Palworld 24/7 and I promise you, you only ever see people ranting about it on Twitter and Bluesky. It’s an easy 500k views which is why it’ll always be topical to whinge about. It is what it is Doesn’t actually have any impact on the game or community.
Regarding the influence of such criticisms on Palworld or its expanding fanbase, Buckley claims it has minimal significance. He reiterates, “Doesn’t actually have any impact on the game or community.” He later shared a screenshot from Steam that highlights the game’s impressive standing on Valve’s platform, flaunting an “Overwhelmingly Positive” overall rating along with “Very Positive” recent reviews—both gathering thousands of responses. Currently, Palworld holds a 95% rating on Steam (94% for recent reviews) and is expected to maintain its popularity for the foreseeable future. According to SteamDB data, Palworld ranks at #64 among the most-played games, with a peak of 45,189 players in a 24-hour period. Its all-time peak is even more astonishing, reaching 2,101,867 players. With the 1.0 version set to launch next year, this figure could rise even higher.
We’re doing just fine
While predicting the future trajectory of Palworld’s success remains challenging, it’s clear that negative press can sometimes work in favor of a game’s visibility. A year ago, when the Pokemon Company, owned by Nintendo, initiated legal action against Pocketpair for patent infringement, it inadvertently drew more attention to Palworld. Amid this legal controversy, many players seem to appreciate its unique survival aspects. As one US intellectual property expert put it, “Nintendo is so wrong, it hurts,” commenting that the company’s assertion that modifications do not undermine its Pokemon patents is “just a loser argument” and a “Hail Mary” in the ongoing litigation with Palworld.