Summary
- Palworld released a new update on February 20.
- Identified by version number 0.4.15, the patch revamps the Random Pal Mode, mitigates rubberbanding issues in multiplayer, and implements several major bug fixes, among other novelties.
- The new update was also meant to rebalance Palworld's elemental treasure chest rewards, but this change was omitted by mistake and is now planned to roll out at a later date.
Palworld update 0.4.15 is now available for download. This release introduces one major gameplay mechanic rework, a few critical bug fixes, and some Palworld optimizations, among other novelties.
Pocketpair's popular survival crafting sim has received over 40 patches since its January 2024 early access launch. Its latest big content drop materialized in late December 2024 in the form of the Palworld: Feybreak update, bringing a new island, Hardcore mode, additional Pals, more items, and a level cap increase. Since then, the game has received several smaller patches mostly focused on bug fixes.
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Another minor Palworld update rolled out on February 20, simultaneously reaching both PC and console players. Identified by version number 0.4.15, this patch is also largely geared toward refinements rather than new content, though it does include one significant gameplay rework in the form of a complete overhaul of the Random Pal Mode. Used for randomizing Pals that appear throughout Palworld, the latest iteration of this mode offers a smoother difficulty curve by having enemy strength gradually increase as the player progresses through regions. Additionally, it fixes an issue that previously prevented some spawns from being replaced by random Pals.
The 0.4.15 update also includes some improvements specific to the Xbox version of Palworld, which is now supposed to be more stable. Likewise, the official changelog attached to the patch states that the new game build resolves several Steam Deck crashes, albeit without delving into any more details on the matter. Some optimizations are part of the package as well, promising to reduce save file sizes across multiple platforms.
The first version of the patch notes attached to the February 20 update also included a promise of rebalanced rewards for elemental treasure chests, a new type of container introduced in Palworld's Feybreak update. However, Pocketpair subsequently issued a clarification stating that this change was left out of the update by mistake. The developer confirmed it's currently working to remedy this error, suggesting that the elemental treasure chest rebalancing will be rolled out as a standalone change in the near future. The omitted tweak was meant to guarantee the chests' Dog Coin drops, in addition to giving them a small chance to yield work suitability books.
The newly debuted patch also introduces some bug fixes, as well as measures meant to minimize multiplayer rubberbanding issues. Rubberbanding is a phenomenon where a player's character suddenly snaps back to a previous position after moving. It's caused by data packet loss, latency, or both.
Palworld Update 0.4.15 Patch Notes
Major Bug Fixes
- Implemented a workaround for a bug that caused map data to reset.
- Fixed several Xbox and SteamDeck crashes.
Mechanics Rework
- Reworked Random Pal mode. The level of wild pals that appear has been fixed for each region. This means that the strength of enemies will gradually increase as you progress, and only the pals that appear will be random.
Network-Related Changes
- Added measures to address the player rubberbanding issues in multiplayer.
Optimization
- Optimized save data file sizes.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed an issue where Pals at bases would get stuck on each other on dedicated servers
- Fixed an issue where some naturally occurring map objects, such as mushrooms, were not spawning after being destroyed by player construction
- Fixed an issue where neutral NPCs spawned in random events would not become criminal when attacked
- Fixed an issue where Pals would not work if summoned too close to a tree
- Fixed an issue where NPCs would sometimes shake when firing their guns
- Fixed minor bugs such as texture issues
- Fixed an issue where anti-aircraft missile launchers would occasionally respawn
- Fixed an issue where some buildings would not align properly
- Fixed an issue where Pals would not enter caves
Known Issues
The following changes in the v0.4.15 patch were not applied correctly and accidentally left out of the patch:
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Balance Adjustments
- Adjusted the elemental chest rewards. They are now guaranteed to drop Dog Coins and also have a low chance of dropping work suitability books too.
We're currently working to correct the issue. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your continued support of Palworld.
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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
