Palworld will exit early access in 2026 despite ongoing Pokémon lawsuit, Pocketpair confirms

Pocketpair has confirmed that the full 1.0 version of Palworld will arrive next year, with the developer planning to fix “quirks and jank” ahead of the launch while it battles against The Pokémon Company and Nintendo in an ongoing lawsuit.

The details:

• In a new video update posted to the game’s official YouTube channel, studio communications director and publishing manager John ‘Bucky’ Buckley shared that things will be a “little quieter” as it nears the planned 1.0 release sometime in 2026. Buckley explained that the process of moving out of early access will require “a lot of cleanup,” and that its upcoming winter update is the only notable content drop that is in Pocketpair’s current plans for the pre-release version of the game.
• However, Buckley stressed that development on the game is “not scaling back” and that the studio is working on a “massive amount of content” to coincide with the 1.0 launch. “Rather than rushing it, we believe that laying the foundation now will lead to a better game in the end,” he explained.
• Originally released in early access across Xbox and PC in early 2024, Palworld was an immediate hit, drawing in 25 million players within its first month. However, the game became a center of controversy due to its similarities with Pokémon, as both IPs feature creatures that can be caught, fight, and help the player, with some Pal designs bearing striking resemblances to existing Pokémon. This eventually led to Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filing a lawsuit against Pocketpair, claiming patent infringement, though Pocketpair has stated that it will fight the case legally.

More gaming news:

• Game preservationist movement Stop Killing Games has announced that 97% of signatures for its EU petition have been verified so far.
• Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has received backlash from fans over his controversial response to criticism directed at Borderlands 4's performance.