Palworld CEO Rejects Acquisition: 'Never Allow It,' Says Communications Director

Last summer, Palworld developer Pocketpair entered into an exciting partnership with Sony Music Entertainment to expand the Palworld universe beyond gaming. This deal aimed to introduce merchandise, music, and other products related to Palworld. However, this business agreement led to some confusion among fans, who mistakenly believed it signaled an upcoming acquisition, especially following earlier rumors that Pocketpair was in discussions with Microsoft for a potential buyout.

Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe later clarified that the acquisition rumors were unfounded at the time, but the speculation certainly sparked widespread discussion. Since then, with Microsoft's aggressive acquisition strategy in the AA gaming industry and Sony's counter-moves, fans have continued to speculate about Pocketpair's future ownership.

However, the possibility of Pocketpair being acquired appears slim. At the Game Developers Conference last month, I had the chance to discuss this topic with Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, John 'Bucky' Buckley. He expressed strong doubts about any acquisition happening, emphasizing that CEO Takuro Mizobe values his independence and autonomy highly.

“Our CEO would never allow it,” Buckley stated firmly. “He likes doing his own thing and being his own boss. He doesn't like people telling him what to do.” This sentiment was repeated with conviction, underscoring Mizobe's dedication to maintaining control over Pocketpair's direction.

Buckley elaborated, “So I would be shocked. Maybe when he's old, and he might just sell it off for money. And that would be sad, but in my lifetime, I probably won't see it. No, it'll be interesting to see where the two paths go. We, Pocketpair, are obviously only involved in where the game path is going. Palworld as an IP, we are involved, but it’s very much in the hands of Aniplex and Sony Music who are steering that ship right now. We are just offering our advice and thoughts as they take that.”

During our conversation, Buckley and I also touched on other topics, including the potential for Palworld to be released on the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio's response to the game being dubbed “Pokemon with guns”, and more. You can delve into our full interview [ttpp] for a comprehensive discussion on these matters.