Throughout its lifespan, Palworld has seen many updates that have allowed it to remain relevant and well-received as a monster-capturing and survival game hybrid. Though it has undergone many changes and improvements that people enjoy and appreciate, it is still in early access, which Pocketpair is slowly helping it get out of. However, the developer may want its creation to reach its 1.0 status sooner rather than later to prevent it losing its current audience, as a recently announced open-world title that has vibes similar to Palworld is looking to become a serious threat.
During the 2025 Xbox Games Showcase, Aniimo was announced and caught the attention of many. Based on its trailer and available information, it looks to be an open-world monster-capturing game, one that's unique even when compared to titles like Pokemon and Palworld. Because of its promising features and attention-grabbing design, it is a competitor that should not be ignored, especially by Pocketpair. Aniimo's existence can threaten that of Palworld's, and a good way for the latter to help ensure that it won't be a problem is by getting out of early access before the release of the former.
Palworld May Come to Nintendo Switch 2, But Pocketpair Can't Sing the Tune Alone
There may come a time when Palworld will find itself on the next-generation Nintendo console, but only if one particular thing happens.
How Aniimo Pressures Palworld to Get Out of Early Access Faster
The roadmap for Palworld shows that there are a lot of plans that will help make its 1.0 version a monumental occasion, but there's still no telling when exactly that will happen. The reveal o f Aniimo forces Pocketpair to ensure that it takes place soon because of a few notable factors:
- Aniimo's release date is expected to be sometime in 2026, and given that there's no telling when exactly in the year that will happen, Palworld will want to release its 1.0 version before the end of 2025 to play it safe.
- With Aniimo having attractive features like players being able to turn into their partnered monsters, Palworld will need to be ready with its own before its competition comes out, which will likely only happen if Pocketpair pushes it out of early access fast.
- Given that the Aniimo will be free to play with all its cool content, there's a chance that Palworld players will want to migrate over to it, which means Pocketpair has to release a 1.0 version that's good enough and do so soon to prevent that from happening.
Palworld may have helped open the floodgates for the monster-collecting genre, but that doesn't mean its future is secure. The release of Aniimo could easily cast it aside as something to fondly remember, especially if Pocketpair's creation doesn't give people more reasons to continue playing.
Why Aniimo’s Announcement Can Be Seen as a Positive for Palworld
Aside from pushing Pocketpair to give fans the long-awaited 1.0 update faster than expected, Aniimo could also be responsible for Palworld providing more than what it promised. While a roadmap has already been established to give players an understanding of what to anticipate, it may have changed because of the threat that Pawprint Studios' creation poses. In order to match its future competition, Pocketpair may introduce things not mentioned in its plans, like modifications to visuals and the addition of new mechanics, which would not only be good for the game, but also its players. Such a move may even give some a reason to revisit Palworld after long abandoning it, further strengthening the case for why Aniimo's announcement is a good thing despite the threat it carries.
While Palworld can be considered one of the best games still in early access, it's not something it should be known for in the future. With the recent announcement of Aniimo, it should have reminded Pocketpair that its creation will eventually need to have an official release if it doesn't want to be overtaken by its competitors. Hopefully, this means fans will get the 1.0 update soon, because if not, then it could spell problems for Palworld's future.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 71 /100 Critics Rec: 58%
- Released
- January 19, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Violence
- Developer(s)
- Pocket Pair, Inc.
- Publisher(s)
- Pocket Pair, Inc.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Xbox Series X|S, pc
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Shooter, Survival
