Palworld developer Pocketpair is gearing up for a major cross-play update slated for late March 2025. A recent X/Twitter post confirmed this update will introduce cross-platform multiplayer across all platforms, alongside a highly anticipated world transfer feature for Pals. While specifics remain scarce beyond a promotional image showcasing a Palworld battle featuring numerous characters confronting a colossal Pal, Pocketpair's Communications Director and Publishing Manager, John 'Bucky' Buckley, hinted at "a few little surprises" included in the March update.
This update is excellent news for the 32 million players who have joined the Palworld adventure since its early access launch in January 2024. Pocketpair has outlined an ambitious content roadmap for 2025, including the cross-play functionality, a concluding "ending scenario," and additional content for this immensely popular creature-catching survival game.
Palworld's initial launch on Steam ($30) and simultaneous arrival on Xbox and PC Game Pass a year ago shattered sales and concurrent player records. The game's success was so significant that Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe revealed the studio was initially overwhelmed by the sheer volume of profits generated. Despite this, Pocketpair swiftly capitalized on Palworld's breakout success by forming a new venture, Palworld Entertainment, in partnership with Sony, to expand the IP and bring the game to PS5.
However, a looming legal challenge from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company casts a shadow over these developments. The companies are seeking an injunction and damages, alleging Palworld infringes on multiple patent rights. Pocketpair has responded by identifying the patents in question and making adjustments to the Pal summoning mechanics within the game. The studio remains resolute, declaring its intention to "continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings."
