Palworld developer Pocketpair has revealed that the game is finally set to leave Early Access in 2026. No exact date has been set for Palworld's full release at the moment, but it's good to get confirmation that it's on the way.
Palworld's initial release at the start of 2024 was gargantuan. The game amassed a peak concurrent player count of over 2.1 million on Steam, making it one of the most played games ever on the platform. Palworld sold millions of copies just a few days after its release, and while the momentum inevitably slowed, it still retains a strong community of players. It was pinpointed by the gaming community as "Pokemon with guns," a hook so strong that most could not ignore it.
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Palworld Has More Surprises in Store Before 1.0 Release in 2026
Now, in a video on YouTube, Palworld has confirmed that it's set to launch its 1.0 version at some point in 2026. There have been tons of Palworld updates since its release, but this is the big one that many have been waiting for, a huge milestone for developer Pocketpair. In the video, communications director and publishing manager John "Bucky" Buckley admitted that the focus now is on "a lot of cleanup that needs to be done before Palworld can exit Early Access," stating that the studio's "goal is to ultimately release Palworld next year, in 2026, and we think taking the time now to fix those problems will ultimately lead to a better game."
Bucky claims that this "means that things will be a little quiet from us for the rest of the year," also clarifying that the Winter update that is on the way will not be as big as last year's Palworld Feybreak update, which was released in December 2024. However, the studio does still have "a few surprises planned" for the rest of 2025.
There should be no concern about the future of Palworld on the back of this announcement. Bucky was sure to clarify that development on the game is "not slowing down or scaling back - quite the opposite," mentioning that Palworld's 1.0 update will feature "a truly massive amount of content." If it does manage to launch out of Early Access in 2026, it will conclude what will have been a journey spanning over two years, and hopefully, there'll be even more to come beyond that.
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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.
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Shooter, Survival
