Palworld Devs Announce Bizarre New Game

Summary

Pocketpair announced Palworld: More Than Just Pals, a dating simulator.
The game was already unveiled in 2024 as an April Fools' joke, but now seems to actually be happening.
Palworld: More Than Just Pals can currently be wishlisted on Steam.

Pocketpair has announced a dating sim called Palworld: More Than Just Pals—again. This time around, however, the bizarre Palworld spin-off seems to actually be happening.

More Than Just Pals was initially teased for April Fools' Day 2024. Pocketpair presented the joke concept as a dating sim allowing players to befriend, romance, or dismember and eat Pals. While many fans praised the developer for the effort that went into crafting the gag, others publicly wished for the Palworld dating simulator to be real.

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Almost a year later to the day, Pocketpair once again announced Palworld: More Than Just Pals on March 31. But it's now looking like the game might actually be happening, with the Japanese studio even launching its Steam page, where it can already be wishlisted. In a bid to promote this listing, the company announced it's giving away a body pillow adorned with the image of Palworld Pal Lovander.

Could Pocketpair Be Doing the Same April Fools' Joke 2 Years in a Row?

Between the body pillow giveaway and the ludicrous concept of the game itself, some Palworld fans still seem convinced that More Than Just Pals is just a joke. On the other hand, Pocketpair Publishing Manager John Buckley recently hinted at the opposite being the case, describing More Than Just Pals as a "totally not real, or maybe real" project during a March 2025 GDC lecture.

Steam Joke Listings Aren't Explicitly Forbidden by Valve

Steam terms of service don't explicitly forbid joke listings. And while a Steam page might seem like a step too far for an April Fools' joke, the one that Pocketpair put up for More Than Just Pals mostly consists of screenshots and footage that the developer had already made for its 2024 teaser. The original video ended with the promise of the dating sim launching on April 1, 2025, so whether it's real or not might become clear before long. The initial version of the game's Steam page doesn't list a release date.

Palworld: More Than Just Pals will supposedly put players in the shoes of a transfer student at the Palpagos Private Academy, where they'll get to pursue all sorts of shenanigans. Pocketpair has so far confirmed 10 characters for the game. On the Pal side, there's Katress, Lovander, Chillet, Chillet Ignis, Quivern, Tarantriss, and Splatterina. Players will also be able to socialize with Nurse Saya and at least one Black Marketeer, according to the newly launched Steam page. Assuming that the game is indeed happening, then it's possible that Pocketpair had it planned since its original teaser.