Palworld Won't Answer the Question 'What's Beyond AAA?'

Palworld's Unexpected Path: Beyond AAA, or Beyond Expectations?

Pocketpair, the creators of the wildly successful Palworld, could easily leverage their massive profits to create a game exceeding even AAA standards. However, CEO Takuro Mizobe has a different vision. This article explores his intriguing perspective.

Pocketpair: Embracing the Indie Spirit

Palworld's phenomenal success has generated tens of billions of yen in revenue for Pocketpair—that's tens of millions of USD. Despite this windfall, Mizobe has reiterated his disinterest in pursuing a AAA-scale project.

In a recent GameSpark interview, Mizobe explained that Palworld's development was funded by profits from previous titles, Craftopia and Overdungeon. While the current financial success could fuel a massive, "beyond AAA" project, Mizobe believes Pocketpair isn't structurally prepared for such an undertaking.

"Scaling to a level beyond AAA isn't feasible given our current organizational structure," Mizobe stated. He prefers to focus on projects that thrive within the indie game space, citing its improved game engines and favorable industry conditions allowing for global success without massive teams. Pocketpair's growth, he emphasizes, is deeply rooted in the indie community, and the company is committed to giving back.

Expanding the Palworld Universe

Mizobe has previously stated that Pocketpair won't be expanding its team or upgrading offices despite its financial success. Instead, the focus is on expanding the Palworld IP into diverse mediums.

Palworld, currently in early access, has received significant praise for its engaging gameplay and regular updates, including the recent PvP arena and the Sakurajima island expansion. Furthermore, Pocketpair has established Palworld Entertainment in partnership with Sony to manage global licensing and merchandising. The future for Palworld, it seems, lies not just in gaming, but in a broader entertainment landscape.