Back when Nintendo and The Pokémon Company first launched their aggressive legal crusade against Palworld creator Pocketpair, it felt like quite the David vs Goliath story. Nintendo is historically incredibly successful in the courtroom, and what chance did an indie hit like Palworld have to deflect the patent infringement claims?

Fast forward to today, as Palworld 1.0 is about to launch on July 10, a report from patent litigation experts at GamesFray reveals that the stakes in Nintendo's case have practically shrunk to nothing ahead of the Tokyo District Court hearing on October 1, 2026. At this point, Nintendo has little to no chance of halting Palworld in its tracks, and even if they win any of the remaining technical arguments, the maximum payout is capped at a measly $30k (equivalent to JPY 5 million). This chump change is hardly a victory for Nintendo.

A fresh start with 1.0?

This legal implosion couldn't come at a better time for Pocketpair. As announced at Summer Games Fest 2026, Palworld 1.0 is officially locked in for a massive full launch on July 10, completely leaving its Early Access era behind.

Pocketpair is going all-in for the 1.0 launch, promising the biggest content drop in the game's history, including access to the mysterious World Tree and more brand-new Pals than any single previous update.

This full release should hopefully be the fresh start the studio needs. And thanks to Nintendo’s crumbling legal pressure, it’s launching without a single dark cloud hanging over it.

How Pocketpair patched Palworld to minimise the damage

Gamesfray's report states that the case is all but over, pending the hearing in October. "The public record strongly suggests that the parties have completed their written pleadings and the submission of evidence." And due to Nintendo having to significantly narrow their lawsuit so that it only applies to old, outdated versions of Palworld, they can't touch the current iteration of the game, and certainly not the 1.0 release.

From the offset, Pocketpair addressed Nintendo's claims of ownership over certain game mechanics like the gliding with Pals and throwing Pals into battle by simply changing them in subsequent versions of the game. Because of subsequent patches, Nintendo continued narrowing its own lawsuit, effectively boxing itself into a corner.

The whole farce, which included filing patents months after Palworld gameplay was first shown, was already a gross misuse of the patent system. For a patent to actually mean anything, it needs to be a genuine leap forward, not just a remix of things games have been doing for years. You don’t get to own a gameplay loop just because you tweaked a menu.

Nintendo, however, tried to do exactly that. They rushed to file "divisional" patents after Palworld became a monster hit for Xbox Game Pass in January 2024, trying to retroactively claim ownership over basic mechanics like aiming a ball and summoning a creature. By the time those patents were actually granted, Pocketpair had already patched the game to remove patent exposure.

That left Nintendo with a tiny window of time to claim damages, which amount to the 5 million yen (30k USD). Given that a Japanese patent applies only to sales made in Japan, Nintendo has completely cut itself off from Palworld’s massive global revenue. That being said, they are still attempting to gather patents in US territory.

A $30K win vs. a $40 million loss?

I'm sure you already know how tiny $30k must be to Nintendo, but to add insult to injury, Nintendo’s own annual report recently noted a staggering $40 million loss from patent litigation expenses elsewhere.

The court will express its formal opinion on November 9, 2026, but the war is practically already over. Palworld 1.0 is launching safely; the game cannot be banned, and Pocketpair is stepping into a massive new era. Nintendo could still walk away from this feeling successful, though. By forcing Pocketpair to alter its code and step away from specific gameplay implementations, Nintendo has effectively defended its "parent" mechanics (originally filed back in 2021). For a giant like Nintendo, spending millions on lawyers to secure a tiny, symbolic $30k judgment is just the cost of enforcing their line in the sand.

Reflecting on the industry-wide impact, however, I'd personally say this is a win-win. Nintendo has flexed some muscle, and Pocketpair has proved that indie studios can pivot quickly enough to survive a legal challenge from a Goliath-esque corporation.

Now that Palworld 1.0 is safely launching on July 10 and Nintendo's lawsuit has shrunk to a $30,000 IOU, what's your take on this drama?

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Nintendo’s arsenal against Palworld is in serious trouble. In a move almost unheard of, the head of the U.S. Patent Office has personally stepped in to review one of Nintendo’s most controversial patents, the one that claims ownership of a basic game mechanic "summoning a helper and letting it fight in one of two modes."

In our previous article on Nintendo's U.S. efforts to collect anti-Palworld patents, patent 12403397 garnered quite the outcry from the gaming community as it targeted such a generic gaming mechanic used in hundreds of other games.

It looks like the outrage actually worked. Latest findings from Gamesfray show that the head of the U.S. Patent Office has stepped in to review whether this should have been granted in the first place.

Why are the U.S. Patent Office reviewing the patent?

Yesterday, USPTO Director John A. Squires ordered a "reexamination" of Nintendo’s U.S. Patent No. 12,403,397. So the patent office is taking another look at whether this patent should exist at all. Why?

Because two older patents, one from Konami (2002) and one from Nintendo itself (2019) already describe the same idea. Both show a player being able to fight in manual mode or automatic mode, which was the key feature Nintendo claimed was unique.

This is huge. The last time a USPTO Director did this was more than a decade ago. Normally, these reviews only happen when a company files a challenge. Here, the Director has acted on his own. Likely because of the backlash over this patent from gaming media and potential damage the reputation of the U.S. Patent system.

After all, the mechanic is in so many other games, it baffled many of us that those who put the patent through didn't spot this.

What happens next?

Nintendo has two months to respond to the reexamination order, and even Director ordered reexaminations can be upheld. However, it's highly likely the patent will be revoked based on its similarity to other existing patents.

Given that this comes just days after the Japan Patent Office rejected a "monster capture" patent claim from Nintendo because it wasn't original enough, it's not looking good. Two of the world's biggest patent offices are now questioning Nintendo's strategy.

Nintendo claims these patents are to protect innovation, but it does look from the outside that it's an attempt to monopolize basic game rules in their ongoing battle against Palworld.

For now, the clock is ticking on Nintendo to respond, but the fact the USPTO Director himself has stepped in shows just how controversial this "summon and fight" patent is.

FAQ

Nintendo’s ongoing legal campaign against Palworld developer Pocketpair has hit another roadblock. A key patent in Nintendo’s “monster capture” family, one that sits right between two patents, currently being asserted in the Tokyo District Court, has been rejected by the Japan Patent Office (JPO).

The decision cites a lack of inventive step, pointing directly to older games such as ARK, Monster Hunter 4, Craftopia, Kantai Collection, and Pokémon GO itself as examples of prior art.

For Xbox players following this saga (and especially fans who jumped into Palworld on Xbox Game Pass), this new twist adds even more weight to Pocketpair’s defense. It reinforces the argument that Palworld isn’t necessarily copying Nintendo, but rather is inspired by and builds upon decades of established game mechanics.

A tangled patent family tree

The latest report from Gamesfray breaks down the significance of this patent rejection in relation to the Pocketpair case. If you look at the official JPO patent family chart (shown above), you can see how interconnected these filings are.

The newly rejected 2024-031879 application descends from Nintendo’s 2023 filing (JP7505852), which has already been granted and is one of the patents cited in Nintendo’s lawsuit against Pocketpair. Meanwhile, patent 2024-123560 (JP7545191) branches off, another granted patent also being used in court.

That means this isn’t some irrelevant side filing; it’s literally sandwiched between two patents central to the litigation. If the JPO finds that one member of the patent family lacks originality, it raises questions about the others.

As GamesFray notes, this “sibling-parent” structure makes the 2024-031879 rejection potentially significant. The same reasoning (lack of inventive step, obviousness based on prior art) could easily apply to the related patents Nintendo is wielding in court.

Pocketpair’s fingerprints might be on the prior art submission

The JPO’s record shows that a third-party submission was made earlier this year, introducing prior art that led to this rejection. While the JPO doesn’t name who made it, the timing aligns with Pocketpair’s known strategy and its April 2025 court filing of similar evidence.

In fact, GamesFray’s earlier coverage revealed that Pocketpair’s legal team has already submitted an extensive list of games — from ARK and Tomb Raider to Zelda, Titanfall 2, and Rune Factory 5. All to demonstrate that Nintendo’s claimed mechanics existed long before Palworld.

You can read our breakdown of that filing here: Palworld developers challenge Nintendo's patents using examples from Zelda, ARK: Survival, Tomb Raider, Titanfall 2, and many more huge titles.

Pocketpair even cited mods like Pixelmon (for Minecraft) and NukaMon (for Fallout 4) as prior art, arguing that player-created content is also part of the shared creative ecosystem that predates Nintendo’s claims.

Interestingly, Nintendo’s own argument earlier this year tried to claim that mods shouldn’t count as prior art. An unusual position that drew criticism for trying to limit what qualifies as “publicly known” technology. (GamesFray, September 16, 2025)

Why this matters for the Palworld case

The JPO’s decision doesn’t directly determine the outcome of the Tokyo District Court case; that’s a separate process. But it could influence it. Judges often respect the technical findings of patent examiners, even if they aren’t legally bound by them.

In this case, the rejection undermines Nintendo’s claim that its patents protect truly original gameplay ideas. When Japan’s own patent authority says otherwise, that argument loses credibility fast.

The ruling also puts pressure on Nintendo’s third patent-in-suit, which, according to previous reports, has already been modified mid-litigation. A sign that Nintendo is getting desperate.

What may also be relevant is that it was recently leaked that Nintendo may be working on its own Pokémon spinoff featuring gameplay elements similar to Palworld’s survival-style. If this turns out to be true, it could explain why Nintendo is pushing so hard to secure broad control over mechanics that suddenly look marketable again.

The main lawsuit against Pocketpair continues at the Tokyo District Court, but is getting increasingly shaky. If more of Nintendo’s patents face rejections, it could drastically weaken their case.

Whatever happens, this development shows that Pocketpair’s defense strategy, built on citing prior games like ARK and Monster Hunter, is paying off.

Another day, another round of AI-fuelled news — and this time, it’s Krafton making headlines. The studio behind PUBG, and the one that acquired Tango Gameworks after Microsoft closed the studio in 2024, has announced plans to go all in on “Agentic AI” and automation — a move that some worry could put people out of work.

On the other side of the coin, Palworld creator Pocketpair — currently in a legal battle with Nintendo — has taken the opposite approach. The studio says it’s rejecting generative AI entirely in its new publishing division, marking a refreshing change of pace in an industry where tech giants like Microsoft are making billion-dollar AI deals seemingly every week, and more companies are embracing automation than ever.

Inside Krafton’s ‘AI First’ transformation

The announcement came in a press release post on Krafton’s website, marking a major shift in how the company operates. Krafton explained that it won’t just be using AI tools, but restructuring itself around them, with the goal of adopting “Agentic AI” — systems capable of setting goals, planning, and acting independently to handle repetitive tasks and analytical work.

To back this up, it is investing approximately 100 billion won (around $72 million USD) to build a massive GPU cluster powered by NVIDIA’s latest B300 AI chips.

The hope is that this will free up developers to focus more on the creative side of game development and complex problem-solving. Krafton’s strategy is built on three pillars: fostering an AI-first culture through internal education and hackathons, innovating its organizational structure with specialized R&D teams, and reinvesting time saved from automation into creating new games.

To ensure its employees are on board, the company is also setting aside 30 billion won (about $22 million) each year from 2026 to help them use and experiment with AI tools directly.

For those unfamiliar, Krafton is the studio behind PUBG, the massively successful battle royale game. It also made headlines earlier this year for acquiring Tango Gameworks, the studio behind Hi-Fi Rush and Ghostwire: Tokyo. Tango was previously owned by Microsoft and was among the studios affected by the company’s 2024 closures and layoffs. Krafton’s acquisition gave the developer a second chance — at least for now — to keep creating.

This isn't a distant plan, either. Krafton has set an ambitious timeline to have its company-wide AI platform and management systems fully operational by the second half of 2026.

Palworld’s stand against generative AI

Unlike Krafton, which is positioning itself as an AI-first company, Pocketpair — the creators of the massively successful Palworld — is taking the opposite stance, opposing the use of generative AI entirely.

Earlier in 2025, Pocketpair launched its own publishing division and received more than 150 pitches in its first week. The division is headed by John Buckley, who has been open about his stance, saying he doesn’t believe in AI. As a result, the team refuses to publish any game that uses generative AI, Web3, or NFTs.

Palworld itself faced accusations in 2024 of using AI-generated assets, which Pocketpair denied. Buckley when speaking to Game Developer at Gamescom Asia, has warned that we’re about to see a flood of “low quality AI-made games” appearing on Steam and other stores — something that’s already starting to happen. Fortunately, Steam now requires developers to disclose whether AI is used in their games.

It’s refreshing to see Pocketpair take such a firm stance against something that could genuinely harm the creative side of gaming, especially as AI becomes increasingly normalized. It marks a stark contrast to Krafton’s approach, showing how divided the industry has become over the future role of AI in game development.

The growing divide over AI in game development

It seems Krafton and Pocketpair represent two sides of a growing dilemma in gaming. As companies like Microsoft continue pushing toward an AI-driven future, with generative AI now being used in Call of Duty and Krafton rebranding itself as an AI-first company, it’s setting a worrying precedent for many.

For me, Pocketpair stands out in defiance. Smaller indie studios keep proving that success doesn’t require AI to trim down workflows or replace creative roles. These teams often break through the cracks precisely because of their authenticity, not despite it.

Over on X (formerly Twitter), the mood is clear — the majority of users seem strongly against AI, much like the backlash during the NFT boom. Posts protesting the use of AI regularly go viral, and I think it reflects how many of us feel: that companies fully embracing these tools to replace workers come across as tone-deaf and out of touch with the wider community.

FAQ

When Xbox landed Palworld as a timed exclusive a couple of years back, it was hard to envision what might come next.

Palworld absolutely blew up during its launch period, breaking records for Steam concurrency and showcasing ID@Xbox's capacity for picking up bangers. Palworld captured the imagination of millions of gamers who grew up playing Pokémon, and wanted to see the genre produce something different.

Palworld remains popular on PC, Xbox, and now PlayStation 5, despite attempts by Pokémon owner Nintendo to hinder its progress. Palworld's "Pals" are analogous to Pokémon, despite the actual game skirting more towards survival and base building gameplay than your standard RPG. It was hardly as if Nintendo invented cute battling animals, though.

In any case, Nintendo has asserted that it owns the rights to any game that features cute animals fighting each other in Japanese courts. Nintendo seemingly was unhappy with the comparisons, and the popular comparisons calling it "Pokemon with guns." Nintendo has since been fighting to litigate Palworld out of existence based on a variety of spurious claims.

Developer Pocketpair has been undeterred, though, and has today announced another new game that will probably also upset Nintendo.

Announced today during the Tokyo Game Show festivities, Palworld's new "Palfarm" is a cozy life sim, where you build up a homestead and farm crops within the Palworld universe. You can use Pals to tend to crops and other tasks on your farm, which includes defending it from AK47-wielding monkeys and other potential threats. It comes hot on the heels of Nintendo's own Pokémon life sim spin off, Pokopia, although Pocketpair says Palfarm has been in development for over a year with an all-new team.

Taking cues from the likes of Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, you will be able to engage in daily conversations with Pals and island residents, complete with dating sim elements atop multiplayer gameplay.

Ladies and Gentlemen... Palfarm!" Pocketpair community lead Bucky said on X, "Palfarm is a Palworld spin-off about living a cosy life with your Pals! Actually, we've been working on this for over a year now and are SUPER excited to finally reveal it to you all! Please consider wishlisting on Steam!"

Indeed, unfortunately, Palfarm is only listed for a Steam release as of writing. However, there's no reason to think it won't eventually make its way to Xbox and PlayStation in the future.

"Shortly after the release of Palworld, we received so much feedback from our fans about Palworld and things they would like to see in future," the game's Steam listing says. "One thing that many players requested was a more relaxing and cosy adventure, and after thinking it over for a few months the idea of Palfarm was born!

Developed by a new team, Palfarm aims to show a more peaceful and cosy side of Palworld.

Move to an island where the Pals live, work together to till the fields, cook, craft, and build the farm of your dreams."

Some have criticized Pocketpair for releasing yet another game in early access, while Palworld and previous game Craftopia remain in the program. Craftopia in particular languishes on "mixed" reviews on Steam, as hopeful fans lament the game's apparent side-lining following Palworld's success. Palworld is aiming to hit 1.0 in 2026, however, despite having to rework aspects of the game to avoid Nintendo's wrath.

It's a shame that Xbox didn't manage to land this one at launch, as it looks rather charming. Pocketpair isn't exactly a huge mega publisher, but you have to wonder if it's biting off more than it can chew across multiple projects. Hopefully when Palfarm is done, we can see it join Palworld in Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming too when the time comes.

Nintendo’s ongoing legal battle with Palworld developer Pocketpair has taken a surprising new turn in Japan. According to this latest Gamesfray report, fresh filings at the Tokyo District Court reveal that Nintendo has modified one of the patents at the heart of the case. Asking the courts not to treat mods as "prior art", a move experts are calling both extreme and dangerous.

Florian Müller, the litigation expert behind Gamesfray, calls this stance “almost insulting,” arguing that modders contribute real, incremental innovation to gaming and shouldn’t be ignored. If Nintendo’s position holds, it could set a precedent where game companies patent mechanics pioneered by mods, leaving creators vulnerable.

Why mods are relevant to the Nintendo vs Pocketpair case

As reported previously, Pocketpair's defense has amassed a bunch of examples of prior art. So, demonstrating ideas that existed before Nintendo filed its patents in 2021. In patent law, prior art refers to anything that shows an idea or invention was already out there; if proven, it can weaken or even invalidate a patent altogether.

One example Pocketpair points to is Pocket Souls, a Pokémon-themed mod for Dark Souls 3. The studio argues that mods like this demonstrate Nintendo’s claimed mechanics weren’t original at the time of filing (in 2021).

Nintendo claims that mods don't count as prior art because they depend on another game to run and, therefore, shouldn't be used to challenge patents.

Why experts are alarmed

Mueller disagrees strongly, calling this argument extreme and unnecessary. Firstly, prior art typically has a broad definition in patent law. Courts tend to consider whether creators (like developers) would look at mods for inspiration, and they often do.

If Nintendo wins on this basis, companies could patent mechanics first pioneered by mods, leaving modders exposed with no legal protection. Counter-Strike for example, started as a mod for Half-Life in 1999, becoming so popular it became its own standalone game. By Nintendo's standards, this isn't innovation, and they could patent it for themselves after the fact.

Mueller warns that this approach shows "utter disregard" for the creativity modders bring to the gaming industry. Modders would have little recourse, for example, started as a mod for Half-Life in 1999, becoming so popular that they would have to file patents themselves (something hobbyists almost never do).

Modders could become “fair game” for larger companies to exploit. "For example, in the United States, the thief would just have to file for patents within less than a year of the release of a given mod."

What else is happening in the case so far

The mod debate is just one of several issues preventing the case from concluding. Nintendo has already changed the wording in another patent relating to switching rides in mid-air, moving the goalposts for Pocketpair, and is requesting an injunction against the company, though Pocketpair argues it has already worked around any alleged infringements.

Nintendo is pushing for broad interpretations of its patents, while Pocketpair continues to highlight how Palworld differs from Pokémon’s traditional turn-based design.

Because of Nintendo’s patent amendment, little else is expected to happen this year. The court may share its preliminary view with the parties in 2026, but for now, the case is at a standstill.

Still, the precedent it could set is concerning. Nintendo's actions recently have caused raised eyebrows, only recently managing to secure a patent in the U.S for the simple mechanic of summoning a character to auto-attack in a game. Yet only last week, the Nintendo Direct featured Pokémon Pokopia, a game with base building (as featured in Palworld and Minecraft). Rip-offs for me, and not for thee indeed.

Pocketpair dropped a new developer update video today, and while it was framed as a quiet “state of the game,” there’s nothing quiet about what’s coming for Palworld. In the face of Nintendo’s ongoing patent infringement litigation, the team is pushing full steam ahead towards 1.0 — and for fans like my son (who asks me daily about this), we finally got confirmation: we are going to the World Tree in 2026.

The published video doesn't confirm the World Tree, but this Twitter exchange did, when someone asked Pocketpair’s Communications Director, Bucky, the one-million-dollar question of whether the world tree would be released at 1.0. Bucky’s reply was as direct as it gets: “yes.”

It's one word, but it gets the people going!

A look back before the big leap forward

In the video, Bucky from Pocketpair recapped the long road Palworld has taken since it exploded into Early Access and onto Xbox Game Pass back in January 2024.

If I can cast your minds back, Palworld sold 5 million copies in just 3 days and broke the record at the time for the biggest third-party launch in Game Pass history, attracting 2.1 million concurrent players at its peak on Steam.

Since that roaring start, we've had the following updates to the game:

• 0.2: Raids, which quickly became a fan favorite.
• 0.3: Sakurajima, the first new island, plus new Pals and quality-of-life improvements.
• 0.4: Feybreak, a huge landmass with a new faction, Pals, and fresh mechanics.
• 0.5: Crossplay, finally uniting players across all platforms.
• 0.6: Tides of Terraria, the much-anticipated collab, alongside even more quality-of-life updates.

That’s an impressive list for under two years of live service. But now Pocketpair says it's reached a crossroads. Rather than rushing out more flashy islands or factions, its developers are going to start "cleaning up the game’s quirks and jank" to prepare for launch properly and bring the game out of Early Access.

1.0 is the goal — and it’s coming in 2026

The team confirmed they plan to release Palworld 1.0 in 2026. Between now and then, the pace of updates will slow slightly, so we shouldn't expect the winter patch to be as massive as Feybreak. However, there will still be surprises along the way. Pocketpair was careful to stress that development isn’t being dialed back. If anything, they’re going bigger: “Development of Palworld is not slowing down or scaling back — quite the opposite.”

And with that bigger vision comes the World Tree. Long rumored, endlessly asked about, and sitting there on the horizon since day one, this mythical destination is finally confirmed for the official launch. I also asked Bucky on Twitter if there would be a physical disc release for the game, to which he teased "maybe". Now I'm just hoping that, given its success on Xbox Game Pass, it doesn't skip Xbox for a physical launch like Blue Prince did.

Pocketpair Publishing and beyond

The video also touched on Pocketpair’s bright future as a publishing company. Earlier this year, it launched Pocketpair Publishing, using the success of Palworld to help other developers with funding, marketing, distribution, and advice. They’re already supporting teams around the world, though they won’t be making games directly under the publishing label.

To date, they have helped launch indie titles like Dead Take with Surgent Studios, Truckful from Mythic Owl, and, most recently, announced a quirky pixelated fishing game called 'Normal Fishing', which, judging from the trailer, is absolutely not normal.

Meanwhile, inside the studio, smaller teams are tinkering with fresh prototypes. While the bulk of Pocketpair’s resources remain locked on Palworld, the company is trying to stay true to its roots.

Nintendo’s patent infringement lawsuit may be looming, but it’s clear that Pocketpair is unfazed. The devs are doubling down on the game that’s already a phenomenon, with 1.0 shaping up to be more than just a milestone patch.

Earlier this week, with the help of a fantastic report from GamesFray, we covered the news of Nintendo securing a new U.S. patent that not only looks like part of their arsenal against Pocketpair’s Palworld, but could also send shockwaves across the wider gaming industry.

I'm of course talking about the patent for summoning other characters to fight for you in a game, otherwise known as Patent No. 12,403,397. I’ve been following the back-and-forth between Nintendo and Pocketpair since the original lawsuit in Japan, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much attention on a Nintendo patent filing. And with good reason: it’s insanely broad, it’s certainly not something Nintendo invented, and most people are baffled at how the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted it in the first place.

Thankfully, amid all the uproar, Florian Mueller (the patent and gaming litigation expert behind GamesFray), sat down for a podcast with FritangaPlays to break down exactly how Nintendo managed to push this patent through the USPTO. His take on the documents and the tactics involved is a fascinating listen. I highly recommend checking out the full episode, but for now I’ve pulled together the juiciest highlights below.

How Nintendo's 'summoning' patent slipped through

In the interview, Florian Mueller says that, in his opinion, the patent shouldn’t have been approved at all. “I think it should not have been granted. The patent office made a huge mistake.”

The patent’s wording from the start is deliberately vague. "Storage medium, information processing system, information processing apparatus, and game processing method” could describe virtually anything, from AI systems to self-driving car controllers or even word processors.

While Claim 1 describes a “non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a game program,” Mueller refers to this as 'boilerplate' — an attempt by Nintendo to make the patent appear as a technical invention. Simply submitting “patent this game rule” would have been rejected outright, so the language is deliberately obfuscated.

For the patent to hold legal weight, each claim, starting with Claim 1 and continuing onward, must be infringed. There is no dispute over the so-called storage medium: any video game running on a console or PC obviously satisfies that element, making the first few words essentially meaningless.

The meat of the patent lies in the broader gameplay mechanics, particularly the system for summoning characters to battle.

“If you look at how broad the language is, this is not limited to Pokémon. For example, “Performing control of moving a player character on a field in a virtual space based on a movement operation input”

The real focus is on sub-characters, summoned in response to player input. “A sub-character is distinct from the player character… basically, the player presses a button or moves a joystick, and the sub-character appears."

The patent even covers positioning relative to enemy characters: “The combination of summoning, sub-characters, and positioning is what gives the patent its potential reach.” That means mechanics in games like Final Fantasy could technically fall under the patent, even though they predate Pokémon-style summons.

Legal interpretation, Müller notes, could be messy. Courts might debate what counts as a “sub-character” or a “field,” and whether a 2D grid could qualify as a virtual space. “Even if a game is technically different, it might still risk infringement,” he warns. Yet despite the patent’s broad wording, Müller believes the actual risk to developers is limited.

“Palworld will continue mostly unaffected… the broad enforcement scenario that people fear probably won’t materialize,” he says. Awareness, he stresses, is key: monitoring patents and understanding prior art can help developers navigate the potential minefield.

This patent would fail under even mild scrutiny, but that's not the point

Even if the patent wouldn’t survive a court challenge, it has immediate consequences. “Litigation is expensive. Even if you’re right, even if you’re confident you would win, you still have to spend millions fighting the lawsuit. And for smaller developers, that’s not an option. They’d rather settle, or change their game design, than face that risk.”

In other words, Nintendo probably already knows it won't win every lawsuit, but the existence of the patent alone will deter competition. So, the question remains, how did such a broad gameplay mechanic, one that is within hundreds of other games, get through the USPTO without question?

“The examiner probably didn’t fully consider the scope of prior art in video games, or didn’t fully grasp how common summoning mechanics already were," notes Mueller.

"Patent law wasn’t originally designed with video games in mind. A lot of the terminology and concepts come from hardware or software patents. So, when game companies file something like this, it can slip through the cracks because the examiner doesn’t have deep gaming knowledge."

Nintendo’s U.S. patent has implications far beyond domestic developers. The moment a game enters the U.S. market, it becomes subject to U.S. patent law regardless of whether the developer is based in Europe, China, or Japan.

Smaller developers are the most vulnerable. Big companies like Sony or Microsoft can defend themselves with their own patent portfolios, but startups and indie studios face a chilling effect.

The future of an increasing 'litigious' gaming industry

The key to maintaining a healthy, competitive industry, Müller emphasizes, is awareness and proactive defense. “Other developers should actively monitor major players, submit prior art to patent offices, and challenge overly broad patents. That’s how you prevent these issues from becoming standard practice.”

For gamers, he advises staying informed and understanding of changes in titles like Palworld, which may be driven more by litigation than design (lest we forget the not-too-well-received update that broke the game at first).

In the end, Müller’s point is clear: broad patents can provide leverage, but they don’t have to hold back innovation in gaming so long as the industry remains informed when it comes to cases like this. The Nintendo vs. Pocketpair case will continue to be closely watched, especially if Nintendo decides to pursue it in the U.S. Whether this latest patent will actually be used in legal action is still up in the air.

Nintendo isn’t slowing down in its legal crusade against Palworld. While the patent infringement case against Pocketpair continues in Japan, the real story may be unfolding in the U.S.

As we’ve covered before, Nintendo isn’t just fighting one lawsuit. It's been quietly stockpiling patents and preparing for a potential American case, too. And the latest one is a big deal. The newest patent is particularly egregious and could have massive implications for the entire games industry.

Last week, Nintendo quietly secured a U.S. patent that, on paper, gives it ownership over one of the most common mechanics in gaming: summoning a character and having it fight another.

Two new patents granted to Nintendo

U.S. Patent No. 12,409,387, which was issued today, covers the “smooth switching of riding objects”, but Pocketpair already worked around this feature in Palworld, so right now that acquisition is not much of a threat.

However, as GamesFray reports in their thorough coverage of the case, Patent No. 12,403,39, which was granted over a week ago on September 2, is a much more significant concern. Not just for Palworld. The Patent '397 covers the fundamental mechanics of summoning a character to have it fight another. So yes, sounds like Pokémon. However, it also describes things that many other games do.

Unlike many patents, which often face heavy scrutiny or rejections before they’re approved, this one glided through the U.S. Patent Office without objections. It was filed in March 2023 and granted just last week.

Summoning minions in Diablo? Nintendo could own this

Patent '397 is potentially explosive for the gaming industry, because it isn't just about Palworld. If a game does all of the following, it could be challenged.

• There must be a PC, console or other computing device and the game is stored on a drive or similar storage medium.
• You can move your main character in a virtual space.
• You can summon a secondary character (called the “sub character” in the patent).
• If there’s an enemy present, the summoned character fights it (either automatically or based on your input.)
• If there isn’t, the summoned character can still move and fight when it encounters an enemy later.

If a game does those things, Nintendo now has a patent that could be used to argue infringement. I'm sure you can think of 100s of games that do this. This isn’t just a Pokémon thing. The patent language is so broad that it could arguably apply to mechanics across RPGs, action games, MMOs, and the list goes on.

Take Diablo 4, where the Necromancer class is built around summoning skeletons, golems, and other minions that fight automatically or under your direction. In World of Warcraft, warlocks summon demons, hunters summon pets. In Elden Ring, if you’re not one of those solo purists, you might summon your Mimic Tear to help in battle (or, in my case, just finish the battle for me). The list is endless.

In other words, if you’ve played games at all in the last 20 years, you’ve seen this mechanic everywhere. And now, at least in the U.S., Nintendo has a patent claim that could theoretically be pointed at any of them.

Will Nintendo actually use this against Palworld?

The obvious question is, will Nintendo actually sue other developers in the U.S. using this patent, including Palworld? Well, we really don't know. In Japan, where there is an ongoing case, Pocketpair is already making a strong defense against many of the patents with examples of prior art.

There is also clear evidence of Palworld demonstrating its mount switching mechanic, one of the patents in question, 6 months prior to Nintendo filing for the patent.

But even if Nintendo never goes that far, the threat alone is damaging. Just the existence of this patent could discourage smaller studios from experimenting with summon-style mechanics, out of fear of being dragged into court. Big companies like Nintendo can afford endless rounds of litigation. Indies can’t.

If Nintendo keeps going down this “PATENT ALL THE THINGS” road, it could trigger a full-on arms race. Imagine every big publisher rushing to slap patents on basic gameplay loops, not to protect creativity, but to keep it as potential legal ammunition. That doesn’t help push the industry forward; it stands to choke it into oblivion. Are we sliding into a future where lawyers shape the games we get to play more than the devs do?

Should something as simple as “summon a character and let it fight” even be patentable? Or is this just Nintendo flexing its legal muscles?

Drop your thoughts in the comments. This one feels too big for gamers to ignore.

It's been pretty quiet on the news front in the ongoing battle between Nintendo and PocketPair over alleged patent infringement in Palworld. However, while the mainstream audience awaits a final verdict, legal and patent experts are watching the case and digging through the documentation in impressive detail.

This latest report from Gamesfray has uncovered some rather unusual behaviour from Nintendo as they continue the fight to shut down Palworld, and it seems that the fight in Japan isn't landing the punches they'd hoped.

Nintendo is making some unusual moves, including rewriting one of its own patents mid-lawsuit, and, in the words of the experts, "It’s bizarre."

Nintendo are moving the goalposts mid-case

To quickly recap, Nintendo is suing PocketPair for patent infringement in Japan, based on the resemblance of certain mechanics in Palworld to Pokémon. There are 3 patents in total included in the suit for which Nintendo are seeking the equivalent of $66k in damages. Two about capturing monsters, and one about how you can switch between riding different creatures.

PocketPair's defense includes the use of prior art from numerous other games that also use similar mechanics, none of which Nintendo has pursued for damages. There is also clear evidence of Palworld demonstrating its mount switching mechanic, one of the patents in question, 6 months prior to Nintendo filing for the patent.

So, how has Nintendo responded to PocketPair's defense? According to this Gamesfray report Nintendo recently went to the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and asked to change the patent about switching rides in mid-air.

That’s a bold and unusual move, and one that usually only happens when the original patent looks weak. The updated version uses some bizarre language, including the phrase “even when,” which is not standard or clear in patent law.

If you want some light bedtime reading, you can read the entire claim online but it's specifically the wording changes to emphatic phrases like "even when" that are uses of language not generally seen in legal claims such as this, and it's even more telling that these amendments have been made mid-case.

It's just a phrase change, why the big deal?

Changing a patent in the middle of an ongoing case is risky, and it signals that Nintendo perhaps doesn't believe its current claims will hold up in court. Using vague language like this doesn't inspire confidence, and the new wording is so clunky in the context of the entire claim that it may do more harm to their case than good.

Gamesfray refers to the move as a "Hail Mary", and further states it's "a desperate attempt to win by doing something odd."

How about the US case?

Nintendo is still trying to build its case on US soil too, but so far they haven't actually filed a lawsuit there. They've been awarded 4 patents in the US so far, but PocketPair is continuously changing Palworld to effectively become a moving target.

For example, PocketPair removed the Pal-specific gliding mechanics, you can no longer switch between mounts on the fly, and they removed the ability to throw Pal Spheres to summon captured Pals.

The more changes Palworld implements, the more useless Nintendo's patent claims become. Though Nintendo appears to be tweaking claims in the hope of tailoring them to whatever version of the game comes next.

Could Nintendo win?

There is, of course, still every chance that Nintendo is successful with its claims. After all, it has a solid history of winning cases.

However, the company's goal may not just be impacting Palworld, but scaring off indie studios from making games that feel even remotely similar to Pokémon.

Though, as we've seen from announcements like the upcoming Aniimo, that tactic doesn't seem to be working either.

But what do you think?

Is Nintendo right to defend its patents this aggressively, or is it another case of trying to stomp out competition?

Are these kinds of legal fights protecting IP or killing creativity? Let me know in the comments!

Last week, Pocketpair, creators of Palworld, made a statement officially confirming that gliding with Pals was being removed from the game as a direct result of the Nintendo lawsuit over patent infringement currently taking place in Japan. This change would be implemented with patch v.0.5.5.

While we already know that Pocketpair isn't the first or the last to implement this mechanic, and we've reported before how Nintendo has submitted patent applications post-release of Palworld.

Nevertheless, I wanted to share this brilliant report from our friends at GameFray, who detail the exact timeline of when Palworld first revealed this mechanic in the game, and it's even earlier than I thought — a whole six months prior to Nintendo submitting its application for the patent.

Palworld showed off Pal gliding in June 2021

The GamesFray report shows that at Indie Live Expo in June 2021, Pocketpair showed off a preview of Palworld. In the clip, we see riding and flying on Pals, indicating that Pocketpair developed the mechanics independently prior to the Nintendo patent application in December 2021 for Patent No. 7528390

The patent in question, which refers to the dynamic switching of riding objects in a game, was granted to Nintendo despite them only filing for it in 2024 after Palworld's release. This is, unfortunately, perfectly legal as Nintendo can relate its 2024 claim back to the 'parent patent' from 2021. However, this video proves that Pocketpair showed off the mechanic even before the parent patent date.

Will this help Pocketpair against Nintendo?

• Watch above from 1:47:26 to see the full clip.

It remains to be seen. The video alone doesn't invalidate Nintendo's patent, as it doesn't really display the exact technical details as described by Nintendo, but it does suggest that Nintendo's version of the mechanic isn't as innovative as they would like you to believe, as any developer can figure out how to implement it.

Nintendo’s patent claims rely on a 2021 application and older filings that date back to December 22, 2021. That’s the earliest date Nintendo can use in court. The June 2021 Palworld video predates this, making it valid prior art.

It certainly weakens Nintendo's case in combination with Pocketpair's defense using examples of other games with the same mechanics, such as Zelda and ARK: Survival Evolved.

The challenges in the Japan suit haven't stopped Nintendo from applying for the same patents in the US, signifying its intent to also bring the case to US soil.

If Palworld is successful, can they bring back the mechanics they have removed?

For now, Pocketpair is playing it safe, modifying key features to avoid risk — despite showcasing these mechanics long before Nintendo’s 2024 claims.

One significant change came with patch 0.3.11, which removed the ability to throw a Pal to a chosen position as a direct response to the lawsuit. This caused temporary spawning issues, frustrating players who blamed Nintendo for the disruption.

Similarly, the gliding update is, in Pocketpair's words, "yet another compromise." If Pocketpair successfully defends its case, it’s possible these changes could be reversed, though the timeline for resolving the dispute remains uncertain.

In the meantime, these adjustments divert resources and extend development time, impacting other projects — like the anticipated Tides of Terraria update set to release this summer.

Palworld creator and publisher, Pocketpair, has recently released a news update via social media on X regarding "disappointing" changes made to the game, caused by the company's ongoing patent infringement dispute with Nintendo.

Pocketpair announced in its statement:

This isn't the first controversial change Palworld has had to implement as a result of this legal battle. A few months ago, when patch 0.3.11 launched, the game changed the animation of players catching and summoning Pal creatures via Pal Spheres to just a static animation.

However, patch 0.3.11 also introduced several UI bugs and AI behaviours that broke Palworld for a while. It was speculated that this animation was a result of the legal battle with Nintendo, but Pocketpair's most recent statement has apparently confirmed this to be true.

Being able to glide while riding your Pal is akin to using the Fly ability in the Pokémon games, so it's likely that Nintendo is forcing Palworld to remove this iconography as part of the legal dispute as well. Yet the actual flying mechanic in Palworld is seemingly unaffected by the change to gliding on Pals.

Pocketpair has been battling Nintendo for months now, with the latter securing US patents for its legal case. Pocketpair has fought back by challenging Nintendo's Patents using examples from Zelda, ARK: Survival, Tomb Raider, and more.

However, with this imposed gameplay change to Palworld, the popular Xbox Game Pass title has taken a blow to its creative identity as a casualty in this legal battle between Pocketpair and Nintendo.

Will Pocketpair be able to come out of this dispute and beat Nintendo, or will it fold and make more compromises to Palworld in order to stay in business?

Stay tuned for more information as it comes.

Hot news in the defense of Pocketpair just emerged in regards to the ongoing patent infringement dispute between the developer and Nintendo over popular Xbox Game Pass game, Palworld.

Thanks to the incredible investigative work of GamesFray, a platform specializing in gaming legal matters, we now have a detailed look at Pocketpair’s defenses in the Japan-specific patent infringement case, direct from the Tokyo District Court.

These findings shed light on Pocketpair’s strategy on countering Nintendo’s claims and could have significant ramifications for the gaming industry.

It's often argued that many of the patents Nintendo are going after Pocketpair for infringing are for game mechanics used in a plethora of other games, and this seems to be the exact tact that the Palworld developers are taking. We now have all the games so far named in the lawsuit, and some of them may surprise you.

Pocketpair’s argument involves the role of prior games

Pocketpair are challenging Nintendo’s patents by pointing to prior art — existing games and technologies that allegedly contain similar mechanics that Nintendo has not also challenged.

The argument here is that these patents should not have been granted to Nintendo in the first place, because the claimed mechanics were already in use.

Pocketpair references a wide range of games, including Craftopia (their own title), ARK: Survival Evolved, Rune Factory 5, and even Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda.

Mods like Pixelmon for Minecraft and Nukamon for Fallout 4 are also part of their defense, so even user-made mods have been listed in their defence.

Here's the full list of games stated in the case, as painstakingly listed by GamesFray.

• Craftopia, released by Pocketpair in 2021
• Pocket Souls (a Dark Souls 3 mod released in 2020)
• Ark: Survival Evolved, or ARK released by Studio Wildcard in 2017; partly in combination with a Pokémon mod
• The Legend of Zelda, published by Nintendo
• Pokémon Legends: Arceus, published by Nintendo
• Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, published by Nintendo
• Final Fantasy 14 published by Square Enix
• Tomb Raider originally created by Core Design
• Far Cry 5 published by Ubisoft
• Monster Super League, a mobile game by Smart Study Games
• Pixelmon mod for Minecraft
• Pikmin 3 Deluxe
• Rune Factory 5 by Marvelous
• Titanfall 2 by Electronic Arts
• Path of Exile by Grinding Gear Games
• Octopath Traveler by Square Enix
• Dragon Quest Builders by Square Enix
• Nexomon by VEWO Interactive
• NukaMon mod for Fallout 4
• Monster Hunter 4G/Ultimate by Capcom
• ArcheAge by XL Games
• Riders of Icarus by VALOFE

In addition to games, Pocketpair have also pointed out the Unity game engine as an example of prior art.

In the above list, Rune Factory 5, Titanfall 2 and Pikmin 3 Deluxe make it easy to see how a player character can perform an action to release a monster or a capture item (like a ball) and fire in a direction by releasing a button. Pikmin 3 Deluxe, Far Cry 5 and Tomb Raider already showed that there can be different types of throwable objects.

Games like Pocket Souls, Octopath Traveler, Monster Super League, and Final Fantasy XIV already show how players can target creatures and get an idea of their chances of capturing them.

Pocketpair argues that combining features from these games makes Nintendo’s patents seem less unique or inventive, which is a requirement under Japanese patent law.

They also point out that Pokémon games have used different success rates for capture items for over 30 years, making this idea far from new. Hey, it's old hat now right?

What is the Pocketpair vs Nintendo case all about?

Nintendo alleges that Palworld infringes on three of its patents related to gameplay mechanics, particularly in areas such as capturing creatures and the seamless transitioning between gameplay modes.

To remind you of what's in question here, it's:

• Patent No. 7545191 - This patent, owned by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, covers a mechanic for capturing creatures by throwing an object, such as a Poké Ball, in a virtual environment. It involves defining the aiming direction based on player input and determining capture success. Nintendo claims that Palworld’s creature capture system is too similar to this patented gameplay method.
• Patent No. 7493117 - This patent focuses on character movement and collision, specifically in scenarios involving character interactions and pathfinding. It also addresses a mechanic where players engage in battles by launching one creature at another. Nintendo alleges that Palworld’s mechanics around creature combat infringe on this patent.
• Patent No. 7528390 - This patent describes a dynamic mounting system for characters moving across land, air, and water, allowing seamless transitions between different types of terrain. Nintendo argues that Palworld’s use of a similar system for player-controlled creatures and mounts infringes on this patent as well.

Different genres, different mechanics at play

Pocketpair also argues in it's case, that Palworld does not directly infringe on Nintendo’s patents, even if they are deemed valid. So in relation to the following, these counterpoints have been made:

• Gameplay mechanics: Pocketpair contends that Palworld doesn’t rely on the same button operations or clear distinctions between combat and non-combat modes that Nintendo’s patents describe.
• Genre differences: While Nintendo’s Pokémon games are role-playing games with creature collection as a core mechanic, Palworld is primarily at heart a survival and crafting game.

For each patent in question, Pocketpair has provided a counter arguement referencing all the games listed here and how they use arguably similar mechanics.

The wider point here is that many games have inspired eachother since the dawn of video game creation, so if Nintendo are allowed to win this case, how will that impact creativity going forward?

This case will have wider ramifications outside of Palworld

This case centres on a critical issue in gaming: the balance between protecting true innovation within a developers own intellectual property, and balancing that to allow creative freedom.

Game development often builds on existing ideas, combining elements from past titles to create something new. Games like Binding of Isaac and Slay the Spire walked so Balatro could run for example.

I'm sure you could pick up any modern video game today and draw out many references to classics of the past.

If Nintendo’s patents are upheld, it could set a precedent that makes it harder for developers to innovate without risking legal action. While this case is ongoing in Japan only, there's also work happening behind the scenes by Nintendo to bring the case to American soil.

What’s happens next?

The Tokyo District Court are reviewing these arguments and will decide whether Nintendo’s patents are valid and if Pocketpair’s Palworld infringes on them.

GamesFray is following the case in incredible detail and providing impressive detail of each stage so I highly recommend you bookmark the website if you're remotely interested in this case. Florian Mueller behind the site has provided excellent commentary on previous gaming litigation cases, including the Microsoft and Activision Blizzard acquisition.

For now, Pocketpair has taken a firm stance, challenging both the validity of Nintendo’s patents and their applicability to Palworld.

But what do you think? Are you Team Nintendo or Team Pocketpair in this case?

Nintendo has strengthened its legal position against Palworld, securing two additional patents that could be used in a lawsuit against developer Pocketpair. With a total of four patents now in hand, a legal battle in the U.S. appears increasingly likely in the coming months.

According to Gamesfray,, a publication specializing in video game litigation, Nintendo has been actively acquiring patents that target Palworld’s mechanics. The company recently secured a third patent intended for use against the game, and a fourth is now on the verge of approval.

What patents did Nintendo already have in the US?

Nintendo was granted two patents before this latest development:

• On December 31, 2024, Nintendo was granted a patent (No. 12,179,111) by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This patent describes a system with two modes—one for aiming and throwing a capture item at a character, and another for battling using a previously captured character.
• On February 11, 2025, Nintendo got another patent (No. 12,220,638). This one expands on the capturing system, adding elements like an aiming mechanism, a success-rate indicator, and the action of launching an item to catch a character.

Both patents target specific gameplay mechanics that resemble elements of Palworld. However, Pocketpair seemingly anticipated these patents and modified Palworld in update v.0.3.11, which briefly caused major issues (for example, my Chillet no longer spawned underground).

Since these mechanics were changed, these two patents may not be as effective in a lawsuit as Nintendo had hoped.

What are the two new patents Nintendo just acquired?

On March 11, the USPTO granted Nintendo U.S. Patent No. 12,246,255 regarding the "smooth switching of riding objects in a game." However they also had a whopping 22 out of 23 claims rejected.

Nintendo requested a meeting with the USPTO regarding the patent 18/652,883 , which similarly deals with the switching of rideable object.

Following some modified claims again reported and downloadable via GamesFray, these changes were accepted, meaning the patent is now on track to be fully granted.

How did Nintendo get the fourth patent through the USPTO?

As mentioned, both of these patents address the same game mechanic, but in the US you cannot get two patents for the same invention.

By submitting this disclaimer, Nintendo agreed to:

• Link the new patent (18/652,883) to the existing one (12,246,255) to prevent them from being sold separately or used unfairly in lawsuits.
• Limit the duration of the new patent so it won’t last longer than the first one.

Though the patent isn’t fully granted yet, the USPTO’s website now lists it as “Allowed — Notice of Allowance Not Yet Mailed” (as of April 1, 2025).

What happens next?

Gamesfray believe this means Nintendo’s U.S. lawsuit against Pocketpair could begin "as early as late spring or summer 2025." Once the new patent is officially published in the USPTO’s patent register, Nintendo will have four patents to potentially use against Palworld.

Whether Nintendo will proceed with legal action or reconsider remains to be seen. But for now, all signs point toward an impending courtroom battle.

No, this is not an April Fool’s prank — I had to check the calendar myself this morning to confirm it’s still March. Last year’s Pocketpair 'prank' is actually becoming a real, bonafide game. The Palworld dating simulator is coming, whether we like it or not.

Yes, the Steam page for Palworld! More Than Just Pals (stylized as Pal♡world! ~More Than Just Pals~) is live, and you can already add it to your wishlist. Go on, nobody will know.

Romance or eat the pals, the choice is yours.

The listing that's appeared as an official game release on Steam, has this to say about what to expect from Palworld -More Than Just Friends.

You, the protagonist, enroll as a transfer student in the prestigious Palpagos Private Academy. You will meet unique friends (pals) and enjoy school life through friendship and romance. It's up to you whether you stay friends with the pals, develop romantic relationships with them, or even dismember and eat them.

Believe it or not, since Pocketpair’s 2024 April Fool’s joke, fans have been begging for a Palworld dating sim to become reality. Pocketpair clearly saw an opportunity and decided to run with it. Last year, community manager Bucky even jokingly threatened to make it real if their post got more than 10 likes... and, well, here we are.

Doki Doki Literature Club inspiration?

Some of the screenshots so far are giving me serious Doki Doki Literature Club vibes, with some of the Pals appearing jealous with your interactions with other Pals, so you may need to tread carefully with certain relationships.

The Steam page has this to say about the announced characters:

• Katress - A transfer student with mysterious powers. SheShe also has a cute side that gets a little jealous when you talk to other students.
• Lovander - A senior who makes a love approach to new students every year. She calls her love approach "hunting”.

• Chillet - A timid classmate. He makes secret requests of you in the classroom after school.

• Zoe - A childhood friend. She lost her parents when she was very young and lives alone with her older brother, Grizzbolt. She is always cool and strong-willed, and for some reason, she is especially critical of you.

• Black Marketeer - He is the student council president who has great trust from teachers and students. On the other hand, there are also black rumors.
• Chillet's Little Sister Chillet Ignis - A cheerful little sister who dotes on her older brother. Whenever she gets her head stroked she relaxes and has the habit of letting out a sweet "Ahhh...♡". She also has a surprisingly bold side in front of the protagonist...
• Clumsy Quivern - His refreshing smile and innocent personality make him popular with both men and women. Though he thinks he's "cool," others tend to call him "cute." He sometimes gets embarrassed in front of the protagonist.
• School Nurse Saya - A charming adult who secretly drinks alcohol while working. She is well-trusted by her students and will listen to their troubles with compassion. When the two are alone in the nurse's office, she toys with the protagonist with her adult sex appeal! What will become of this forbidden love with a teacher?
• Bubbly Tarantriss - She has a spider-like physique and can spin thread to create cocoons. She has a bright and cheerful personality and gives gifts such as handmade scarves and accessories.

• Yandere Splatterina - A girl who always carries a knife and exudes a dangerous scent. She is jealous and extremely possessive. She has a tendency to imprison people, and will not allow the protagonist to look at anyone other than her.

Want to win a Lovander Body Pillow?

If that wasn't enough insanity for one Monday, there is also a competition running right now to celebrate the announcement, in which fans can win a Lovander body pillow. Yes really.

Simply follow the instructions in the below post from the Palworld devs to enter before April 14, 2025.

Is the Palworld Dating Sim real?

It certainly seems to be, considering there is an actual Steam listing for it. There's also an official Youtube trailer.

This could all turn out to be the longest joke of all time and we have all been had, and the comments on the socials are mainly of disbelief. Needless to say I don't think Nintendo are going to come after Pocketpair for this particular iteration of their game.

But what is Pocketpair are actually be serious this time? I'm going to take one for the team and wishlist the game to find out. For research purposes. That's the real reason, honest.

Uploading its beta v31.0.96.0 driver, Qualcomm is "committed to continuously improving your experience" with a trio of newly supported games, upgrades to existing titles, and a batch of stability fixes for ARM64-native Windows 11 apps like Adobe Photoshop and Blender.

Playing PC games on Windows PCs running Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processors has been a mixed bag since the first batch of laptops, led by the launch of ASUS' Vivobook S 15 Copilot+ PC.

Early performance varied from passable to shockingly impressive in examples like Zac Bowden's review of the Vivobook S15, so it's great to see Qualcomm using these driver updates to improve the experience and support popular PC games like the "perfect sequel" of Kingdom Come Deliverance II.

If your Windows PC has a Snapdragon X Elite chip and not the Snapdragon X Plus (an important distinction), you can manually download the driver from Qualcomm's software center here.

Creators will benefit from the update, too, particularly if you use Adobe's suite in your daily workflow with apps like Lightroom on a Snapdragon X Elite PC with 16GB of RAM.

Patch notes: Games enabled

• Kingdom Come Deliverance II
• Helldivers
• Palworld
• Jagged Alliance 3
• World War Z
• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
• BodyCam
• Cities: Skylines II
• Forge of Empires
• Core Keeper
• Satisfactory
• Tiny Glade
• Genshin Impact

Improved performance for existing games

• Left 4 Dead 2
• Assassin's Creed Valhalla
• Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition
• The Sims 4
• Borderlands 3

Bug fixes for Windows 11

• Fixed corruption in WPS during zoom.
• Fixed Adobe Scene Edit Detection corruption.
• Improved performance in Adobe Photoshop.
• Fixed crashes in Adobe Lightroom on 16GB devices.
• Fixed cube rendering issues in Blender App.
• Fixed crash seen in Football Manager 2022 game during screen recording.
• Fixed AV1E MVHV failures.
• Fixed black screen issue during video playback in VLC Player.

Moving closer to Qualcomm's goals

We have always remained realistic when discussing the topic of gaming on Snapdragon X Elite laptops, but it doesn't stop ARM64 gaming performance improvements from being exciting.

Epic Games and Qualcomm are already pairing up to solve the issue of missing anti-cheat support and allow the phenomenally popular Fortnite to come to Snapdragon X laptops, so seeing similarly successful games like the crossplay-enabled Palworld come to the platform is encouraging.

Native ARM64 builds would always be better for gaming performance. Still, updates like these bring us closer to running these titles "just fine" using x64 emulation, as Qualcomm boasted in the early days of Windows on Snapdragon.

Selfishly, my long-term dream for Qualcomm is to see it partner with PC gaming handheld OEMs similar to the recently-announced Android-based devices running Snapdragon G chips and succeed in this evolving market.

The rapid progression of Intel's XeSS 2 upscaling technology and its competitors have legitimized the concept of AAA gaming in ultra-portable form factors with low-power processors running at maximum efficiency — whether Qualcomm can offer a comparable suite for PC gaming is up for debate, but more competition is always good.

Palworld is the best and only credible alternative to Pokémon, and it's about to get a huge, important update.

Palworld's unique blend of monster-catching, open-world survival mechanics, base building, and dungoneering captured the imagination of millions of gamers who have grown weary of The Pokémon's Company's low-budget production values. Palworld has served tens of millions of players as of writing, and has caught desperate lawsuits from Nintendo in attempts to stifle its rocketing growth. This latest update is set to help it grow even further.

Palworld allows players to create shared world servers to build bases, hunt big bosses, and capture powerful "Pals," who can then take up work roles inside bases for farming resources and the like.

One big downside of the game was that each supported platform, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC, were siloed into separate player bases. A few friends of mine recently started a new world on their Steam Decks, and I couldn't join in the fun since I play on Xbox Series X|S.

Thankfully, developer Pocketpair is releasing a crossplay update before the end of March 2025, linking players together for the first time.

Palworld has gone from strength to strength since it launched, enjoying a persistent player base as the small team behind the game scaled up rapidly to meet demand. The recent Palworld Feybreak Island update added a variety of new biomes, new Pals, new bosses, and new gameplay mechanics to keep the game fresh.

Players can now send Pals on expeditions to gather resources, unlock new passives via a research laboratory facility, and challenge themselves in a new hardcore mode with perma-death. Pocketpair has also ramped up the challenge with new Bounty NPCs and Predator Pals that stalk the open world, presenting a more potent challenge in exchange for powerful rare resources for users seeking to build advanced crafting schematics.

Palworld remains one of ID@Xbox's biggest recent success stories, having acquired several months of exclusivity in exchange for marketing and developer support. Although, I'd be surprised if Xbox itself knew just how aggressively viral the game would go when it initially launched. The crossplay update will doubtlessly give players fresh reasons to return to Palworld, now that they can hang out with players across multiple platforms.

Don't expect to see the game on Nintendo Switch any time soon, though ...

Have you ever pretended to be ill on the launch day of a game you're excited about just so you could take a sick day off work to play it? I'm willing to bet many gamers have, and if you're one of them, you've got something in common with the developers of 2024's hit creature collector RPG Palworld.

Pocketpair — the Japanese studio behind the game — publicly shared a memo sent to its employees internally on social media, revealing that it made Friday, February 28 a company-wide holiday and gave nearly everyone the day off. The reason? Tons of employees were sending in "mysterious reports" they'd be sick that day, which just so happened to be the release date of Capcom's highly anticipated ARPG Monster Hunter Wilds. I'm sure that was just a coincidence!

"Regarding February 28th, we have received a series of mysterious reports from many employees that they may feel unwell tomorrow, so the company has decided to institute a special holiday," the memo reads.

Addressing the public in the memo, Pocketpair added: “Please note that updates to Palworld and Craftopia are progressing smoothly and are expected to be implemented as scheduled.”

With how extremely popular Monster Hunter is in Japan in general, it's hardly surprising that so many of Palworld's employees were willing to call in sick so they could spend the day checking out Wilds. And frankly, with how strong the new game is already performing, I'd wager plenty of folks around the world have done the same.

Just this morning, Monster Hunter Wilds rocketed past 1 million concurrent players on Steam alone, and has surpassed Cyberpunk 2077 to become the seventh most played title in Steam history (countless others are surely joining in on Xbox Series X|S and PS5). The monumental launch success follows a slew of positive reviews from press and critics, with the game enjoying a Metacritic score of 90 and an 89 on Opencritic.

Despite that explosive start, though, Wilds isn't reviewing well with players — at least not the ones embarking on hunts with a PC. At the time of writing, only 48% of the game's 14,140 Steam reviews are positive, earning it a cautionary yellow "Mixed" rating on Valve's PC gaming platform.

The overwhelming majority of negative reviews cite terrible optimization and numerous performance issues, even when hardware far surpasses Monster Hunter Wilds' PC spec requirements. Notably, some user and critic reviews alike also assert that the game is way too easy and effortless to play — a sentiment echoed in our own Monster Hunter Wilds review.

"Without some balance tweaks, I'm not sure Monster Hunter Wilds will achieve the longevity of its predecessor, but new players may appreciate the gentler learning curve," writes Windows Central Executive Editor Jez Corden.

But while its PC performance leaves much to be desired and the lack of challenge may leave some hardcore fans feeling abandoned, most agree that there's a strong foundation for Capcom to work off of here. After all, it supported its 2018 predecessor Monster Hunter Worlds with years of major improvements and content additions, so there's no reason to believe the same won't happen with this 2025 follow-up.

And hey, even if you ate into some of your sick leave to play Wilds only to find yourself disappointed with its current state, at least you've got the day off, right? That's more than I can say.

Monster Hunter Wilds may not be in the best state right now — especially if you're playing it on PC — but nevertheless, it has the potential to grow into one of the best Xbox games and best PC games to play if you're into ARPG battles with giant monsters. It's normally $69.99, but thanks to this deal, you can get the PC version for just $58.79 at GreenManGaming.

Valentine's Day: the perfect excuse to spend some quality time with your Player 2. You could go out for an awkward dinner surrounded by pink balloons, or you could actually have some fun and play video games instead. Test your patience, and your relationship with these suggestions, or just revel in the chaos of shared screens. These picks are perfect for a romantic (or antagonistic depending on how you look at it) gaming session. Some of these may lead to squabbles, but that’s half the fun, right?

1. Palworld

We love Palworld more than Nintendo love litigation. I'm not suggesting this one just because people find some of the Pals alluring (yes really). Palworld is actually something I play with my partner and we have a shared world, though we did start building a cozy base which I later abandoned after he put my bed in an outhouse-like building as a joke. Now our bases are in competition, and I occasionally steal his Pals if they have better stats. What's the point in a Player 2 if you can't borrow from them? But no seriously it's actually a really chill game to play as a pair, and the new Feybreak update has added a whole new island, Pals and equipment to the game to make it fresh.

2. Baldur’s Gate 3

For the RPG-loving couples (or throuples—this one’s polyamorous-friendly for up to 4 players!), Baldur’s Gate 3 is a perfect pick. There's always an element of chaos when playing with another real-life person that you can't control, and my partner and I have had many a high jinks playthrough. Whether we will ever reach the game is another thing. In our shared game, I'm a meat-head barbarian barbie and he's a teeny dwarf monk and nothing says "relationship goals" like yeeting your partner into combat whenever they start flirting with NPCs.

3. It Takes Two

Another Game of the Year winner, It Takes Two is one of the best co-op games we have ever played. Rolling so many genres into its gameplay as you play as Cody and May, a couple going through domestic turmoil and on the cusp of divorce. Not only can you work together you can also hilariously disrupt each other in some challenges, as well as compete in a bunch of mini-games around each level. We look forward to playing Split Fiction too by the same developers when that launches in March.

4. Vampire Survivors (Co-op Mode)

This one’s for the couples who thrive in chaos. If Vampire Survivors wasn't hectic enough as a solo adventure, there's also a couch co-op mode. It's particularly fun if your partner happens to die during the level, as they turn into a coffin and you have to protect it until they can revive. Power-ups are shared, so don’t accidentally grab the floor chicken when your partner’s on their last legs. Or do. Your choice.

5. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

One to test your communication skills! Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a charming co-op game set in space, where you and your partner(s) control a spaceship by running between stations for steering, shields and weapons. The games setup emphasizes love as a theme as you navigate through constellations, rescue adorable creatures and battle enemies. It's also said to be a great game to introduce a significant other to video games if they aren't generally a gamer.

6. Halo: The Master Chief Collection (Split Screen)

Halo: The Master Cheif Collection is a great game for couples who want some first-person shooting action in their co-operative gaming session. You get six games in total (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, and Halo 4) offering campaigns, multiplayer maps, and additional content like Forge mode and custom playlists. The collection supports split-screen for up to two players in campaigns and multiplayer on Xbox consoles, making it ideal for couch co-op gaming, go clap those Master Cheeks together!

7. Overcooked 2

The ultimate relationship test, I only recommend this for the strongest of bonds otherwise you may end up leaving your house with your belongings in a bin bag. Can you and your Player 2 make it through a few levels without shouting, "I said onions, not tomatoes!" or breaking up over dropping a perfectly cooked burger? Overcooked is equal parts teamwork and pure rage, but if your relationship can survive this game, you can survive anything.

Well I'm single. What about me?

Lucky you! You can play all of these games solo anyway (apart from It Takes Two), and skip the arguments over who gets the best controller. Treat yourself to the Xbox Cipher Pulse Controller instead. Because being your own Player 2 means no compromises, nobody to judge you for eating crackers for dinner—and all the floor chicken is yours.

Nintendo’s ongoing patent infringement lawsuit against Pocketpair, creators of Palworld, has primarily been confined to Japan so far, where they’re seeking over $66,000 in damages for three patent claims. But could this legal battle soon extend to the US? Recent developments suggest that Nintendo may be preparing for a similar fight on American soil.

It appears that Nintendo will have a much harder fight on its hands in the US though, with GamesFray reporting that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) overwhelmingly rejected 22 out of 23 of Nintendo's patent claims.

What’s happening with Nintendo’s case in the US?

While there isn’t an active lawsuit in the US just yet, Nintendo is making moves that indicate they might be laying the groundwork for future litigation. Specifically, Nintendo has been working to expand its patent portfolio in the United States, building a legal foundation that could support a future case, much like the one currently underway for patents in Japan.

One patent that has been successfully given to Nintendo is U.S. Patent No. 12,179,111 which covers the process of aiming and capturing characters. This was filed for after Palworld's launch but in patent law, companies often build "patent families" where later patents are connected to earlier filings. It's legal but isn't a good look.

In December, prior to Palworld's huge Feybreak DLC which saw the game hit concurrent highs of 200k players, the game was updated to amend these capture mechanics possibly in direct response to this patent infringement suit. The update in question caused a bunch of bugs and many blamed Nintendo for pushing Pocketpair to a quick fix.

Recent patent successes for Nintendo in the US

On February 11, GamesFray reported that Nintendo has been awarded another patent in the US. This patent is so new that it doesn't yet appear on Google Patents, but the site found it was filed on July 18, 2024. This patent covers methods of capturing characters, including aiming points, indications of the likelihood of successfully capturing a virtual character, and how to display the captured character and another virtual character starting to fight. Sound familiar?

Additionally, an attorney representing Nintendo has called a meeting with the U.S. patent examiner to discuss a patent application related to the "smooth switching of riding objects in a game." The USPTO is willing to grant only one out of 23 claims from this application if Nintendo drops the other 22 claims. Nintendo may have requested this meeting to persuade the examiner to grant more claims or to agree to separate the allowable claim from the others to get it approved more quickly.

In simple terms, all of this action shows that Nintendo is trying to strengthen their patent portfolio by negotiating with the patent office to get more of their ideas officially recognized and protected. Florian Mueller, a prominent legal expert and owner of GamesFray, has closely followed the case and commented on the challenges Nintendo faces in the US. "They're clearly trying to get there, but it looks more difficult than they might have thought at the outset." he said "For example, the fact that the USPTO is prepared to grant only one out of 23 claims of one of those patents is a setback for Nintendo. But they are fighting."

Could this lead to legal action in the US?

Though the US patent battle has yet to fully unfold, these filings suggest Nintendo is committed to ensuring that its intellectual property is protected. While the request for 66K in damages isn't a huge amount by Nintendo standards, if successful, this could have broad implications for the gaming industry, something I've discussed before in 'Why we should be concerned about Palworld's lawsuit."

The case in Japan if successful could set a worrying precedent for patent disputes involving game mechanics. Such cases might affect not only Palworld but potentially other games using similar systems, or stifling creativity in future game development. Afterall, how many other games have taken similar systems from one another to improve upon and push the gaming industry forward?

Pocketpair, the creators of Palworld and Craftopia have just made a surprise announcement. It's launching its own publishing company, Pocketpair Publishing, and even more suprising, the first project is a horror game.

In the post made today Pocketpair state "Our goal is to provide comprehensive support for game development through funding and publishing for indie developers and studios."

Pocketpair Publishing want to find fun games, and make those fun games a reality.

Here's the full mission statement from the newly launched Pocketpair Publishing website, it's simple and direct.

"Making games is fun and we want to help you make games too!

We understand the challenges of creating your dream game.

At Pocketpair, we’ve been fortunate to find success. Now, more than anything, we want to use that success to help other developers achieve theirs.

Making games is hard—especially when you’re going it alone.

That’s why we’ve launched Pocketpair Publishing.​​​​​​

​​​​​At Pocketpair Publishing, our mission is simple

1. ​Find fun games.

2. Help make those fun games a reality !

Whether you need funding for your project, a team to brainstorm ideas with, or someone to publish your game, we’re here to support you every step of the way. We believe the future of our industry lies with developers like you, and we’re committed to putting the power back in your hands.​​​​​

We don’t want to tell you what to do.​

We don’t want to take control from you.

We don’t want to change your dream or push you to make a certain type of game.​​

​​We want to give you money, and we want to help you make a fun game.

So, are you ready to make your dream game?"

The first game will be a horror title from Surgent Studios

In an even more surprising move, the first game Pocketpair Publishing will help deliver isn't on theme with its normal offerings, there are no cutesy creatures here. It will be a horror project from Surgent Studios. The studio are known for Tales of Kenzera, a side-scrolling Metroidvania. In a statement on X (formally Twitter), founder Abubakar Salim announced the collaboration.

"This is the energy I want to see driving games in 2025—developers lifting each other up, creating together, and pushing the industry forward. Massive love to the Pocketpair team! It’s an incredible honor to be the first partnership announced with @PocketpairPBLSH We’ve been cooking up something fun, and I can’t wait to share it with you all. Stay tuned!"

While specific details about the project haven't been released yet, Salim has shared "Both Surgent and Pocketpair are well-versed in taking risks. We noticed a pattern in the entertainment industry, and Pocketpair has given us the opportunity to make a horror game about it. It will be short and weird, and we think players will be interested in what we have to say.”

The announcement has already generated some excitement, and the choice of a horror game for Pocketpair Publishing's first title is certainly unusual. It does signal that they are open to exploring diverse genres, something that will no doubt attract a wide range of indie developers to apply for support. Speaking of which, if you're a developer you can apply directly to Pocketpair Publishing on this Google form.

Sharing the love with indie developers

So a pretty powerful mission statement and a bold new project announcement today. Pocketpair seems to want to share the spoils of the incredible success of Palworld, which hit over 2 million players at its peak but is still regularly enjoying over 200k concurrent players with the new Feybreak update. The success of Palworld has inspired the team to bring more indie developers into the fray. Commendable indeed while still in the eye of the storm of their ongoing legal battle with Nintendo over accusations of patent infringement. I'm happy to see Palworld and by extension, Pocketpair going from strength to strength, and look forward to seeing the fruits of these new projects.

During the height of its popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Nintendo’s Pokémon franchise took the world by storm. While Pokémon didn’t invent the monster-catcher genre, it for sure popularized it thanks to its fantastical worlds, gigantic rosters of cute yet cool monsters, and a simple yet addictive gameplay loop of catching monsters and then trading or battling them amongst your friends.

However, PC players have sadly missed out on Pokémon as it remains exclusively available only on Nintendo consoles even to this day. Thankfully, developers, both indie and AAA, have decided to rectify this by crafting their very own Pokémon-like titles and making them available on PC. Some of these games are a refined take on Nintendo’s classic while others have aimed to reinvent the monster genre by blending it with different gameplay styles.

Since there are tons of Pokémon-like PC titles to choose from, we have rounded 8 of the best ones we can find (in no particular order) that we highly recommend to anyone looking to scratch that monster-catcher itch on PC.

Palworld

Palworld is an open-world survival Pokémon-like game that took everyone by surprise in 2024 and continues to be popular today as Palworld has hit 200,000 concurrent players on Steam. In this game, you are stranded on a mysterious island populated by creatures known as ‘Pals.’ In order to survive, you must tame the Pals and use their abilities to help you craft a base of operations, forage the land for food and water, and build weapons of mass destruction to fend off predator Pals and evil poachers looking to murder your animal companions.

This game may look like an over-the-top parody of Pokémon (especially with the imagery of seeing cute animals wielding machine guns and rocket launchers,) but it surprisingly has a ton of depth to it. Palworld has a massive world filled with tons of secrets to uncover; you can catch a wide variety of intriguing creatures with useful powers, you can outfit your critters with ridiculously huge guns, and you can explore the world and shoot up poachers alongside your friends in online multiplayer.

On top of all that, Palworld is constantly being updated with new regions to visit, new Pals to capture, and more.

Monster Hunter Stories and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin

Capcom’s popular Monster Hunter is normally a franchise all about hunting monsters rather than catching and befriending them. However, the Monster Hunter series decided to take a shot at the monster-catcher genre in 2016 when it debuted a spin-off series called Monster Hunter Stories.

In these games, you play as a Rider, a warrior capable of battling the terrifying Wyverns and beasts of the Monster Hunter franchise and taming them using the power of an ancient device called the Kinship Stone. Together with your newly dubbed ‘Monstie’ companions, you will ride on to discover vast lands filled with monsters to tame and baddies to protect nature from.

The Monster Hunter Stories games are incredibly fun games that manage to expertly blend the exploration and turn-based combat of the Pokémon franchise with the action-hunting mechanics of the Monster Hunter franchise. On top of that, these games feature large rosters of the Monster Hunter franchise’s iconic monsters for players to tame and ride into battle with.

Both Monster Hunter Stories titles are equally fun in their own unique ways. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin has a bigger roster of Monsties and a more streamlined combat system, whereas the first Monster Hunter Stories has a more creative storyline and broader character-build options for your Monsties.

If you want more detailed examinations of what makes the Monster Hunter Stories series great, check out our glowing Monster Hunter Stories review and our Monster Hunter Series 2: Wings of Ruin review.

Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD

Long before Nintendo’s Pokémon franchise pushed the monster-catcher genre into the mainstream, it was an underground niche genre dominated by Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei series. In stark contrast to the child-friendly, bright atmosphere of Pokémon, the Shin Megami Tensei games were dark, brutally challenging, and at times disturbing.

Out of all these games, the most famous entry is Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne, which was originally released on the PlayStation 2 in 2003 but has been ported to PC as Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD in 2021.

In this game, you play as the Demi-fiend, a young high-school student who's been turned into a demon after witnessing the end of the world. Trapped in a new world filled with blood-thirsty demons, the Demi-fiend must use his newfound powers to off monsters looking to devour what remains of his soul and embark on a journey to remake the world in his image.

Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne is often regarded as one of the darkest games in the monster-catcher genre, and for good reason. Instead of catching and befriending monsters like in Pokémon, you recruit monsters by bullying them, bribing them, or sacrificing them in demonic rituals in order to create more powerful monsters.

Additionally, Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne is considered one of the hardest turn-based JRPGs ever created. If your party of demons isn’t fully prepared to exploit enemy weaknesses and have their own weaknesses protected, then you will get curb-stomped in almost every battle you come across. So, if you like dark storylines, overcoming almost impossible odds, and recruiting over 200 demons to your party, then Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne is for you.

Coromon

Coromon is an indie turn-based JRPG set in the fantasy world of Velua. You play as a newly appointed Battle Researcher tasked by Lux Solis research organization to tame and study unique creatures called Coromon. Unfortunately, your first day on the job quickly spirals out of control when an evil, mysterious force appears to cause havoc and hurt Coromon, and it is up to you to stop them.

Coromon features beautiful pixel-art graphics, over 100 Coromon to catch (each with several variants), a large world with rich and diverse biomes to explore, in-depth character customization options for both your avatar and your Coromon, epic boss fights, and online multiplayer where you can pit your team of Coromon against other Battle Researchers.

On top of that, Coromon features a unique take on Pokémon’s turn-based combat system where you must manage your Coromon’s stamina whenever they perform an action to keep them from tiring out. Additionally, you must come up with smart tactical plays to exploit the enemy’s elemental weaknesses and drain their stamina so they’ll be left vulnerable to attack.

Nexomon: Extinction

Nexomon: Extinction is another indie turn-based JRPG that has a traditional yet refined take on the monster-catcher formula. Set in a world where humans live alongside monsters called Nexomon, you play as a member of the Tamer’s Guild tasked with defending the world from the threat of destructive, godlike beings known as Nexomon Tyrants.

Nexo: Extinction features a bleak yet beautiful world rich with lore and secrets, over 300 Nexomon to catch, and an engrossing battle system that emphasizes resource management and move-priority over simply attacking an enemy’s elemental weakness.

If you wish to know more, check our review for the Xbox version of Nexomon: Extinction.

Cassette Beasts

Cassette Beasts is a turn-based open-world RPG indie title where you are stranded on a mysterious island filled with monsters and other lost souls like you. To help you survive this adventure, you are given a magical cassette tape player that records a monster and allows you to transform into the very same monsters you are fighting against.

Additionally, you can team with other human companions who have cassette tapes like you and fuse together during battle to create an entirely new fusion form to take on the game’s challenging boss fights.

Cassette Beasts is a very enjoyable title with a wild storyline filled with crazy twists, a loveable cast of characters with intriguing backstories (whom you can romance should you desire), lots of quests to complete, many ways to customize your character’s looks, and the abilities of your monster forms, and over a 100 monsters to record, online co-op and PvP, and more.

Monster Sanctuary

Monster Sanctuary is a fascinating take on monster-catcher games as it attempts to combine turn-based combat with Metroidvania, side-scrolling exploration. You play as a Monster Keeper, a guardian tasked with defending the Monster Sanctuary from evildoers looking to threaten the peace between monsters and mankind.

This game features a complex world jam-packed with secret treasure to discover and brain-teasing environmental puzzles to solve, over 100 monsters with multi-faceted abilities to help you overcome these aforementioned puzzles, an in-depth 3v3 turn-based combat system where your team monsters must synergize their powers to defeat enemies, online PvP multiplayer, and more.

Gotta catch them all on PC

Now you know all of the best PC games in the monster-catcher genre that we highly recommend to fans of Pokémon-like titles. Be sure to check back in every once in a while, as we will update this list with any upcoming PC titles that manage to excel in the monster-catcher genre upon their release date.

Palworld is experiencing another wave of popularity right now, owing to its huge Feybreak update that hit at the perfect time, right before Christmas. With over 200,000 concurrent players diving back into the game during the holiday period, I was among them, playing happily on my Steam Deck. I was however surprised to spot just yesterday that the game was no longer listed as 'playable' for the handheld on Valve's Steam store.

Palworld is now 'unsupported' on Steam Deck

I've been playing the latest Palworld update on my Steam Deck with no issues—aside from the brutal battery drain—and only realized the change when I went to install it on my partner's OLED model via our shared Steam library. Previously categorized as 'Playable,' Palworld's status mysteriously shifted to 'Unsupported' as of yesterday.

Steam Deck is my favorite way to play Palworld, and I even transferred my Xbox save to Steam just to enjoy it on the go. (Curse you, Pocketpair, for the lack of cross-save between platforms!)

Update 13:52 ET Friday, 3 January 2025: Valve have now moved the game back to 'Playable' but with a list of caveats:

• Some functionality is not accessible when using the default controller configuration, requiring use of the touchscreen or virtual keyboard, or a community configuration.
• This game sometimes shows mouse, keyboard, or non-Steam-Deck controller icons.
• Entering some text requires manually invoking the on-screen keyboard.
• Some in-game text is small and may be difficult to read.
• This game requires manual configuration of graphics settings to perform well on Steam Deck.
• This game does not default to external Bluetooth/USB controllers on Deck, and may require manually switching the active controller via the Quick Access Menu.

What is Steam Deck verification?

There are currently 4 categories of verification for games on Steam and their reported compatibility with the Steam Deck:

• Verified ✅ - This means the game is well-optimized for the Steam Deck and requires no changes to the settings to run well.
• Playable ℹ️ - Where Palworld previously sat, this means the game works but might need minor tweaks.
• Unsupported 🚫 - Valve lists these games as 'not functional,' though they can often be played with effort.
• Unknown ❔- This means the game hasn’t been tested enough for a rating.

Many of my favorite Steam Deck titles fall into the 'Playable' category. Often, the reason for this classification is something trivial, like small text that’s hard to read in handheld mode—a challenge I’ve encountered with Palworld even with the font size maxed out, but it's still enjoyable.

It’s unclear why Palworld has been downgraded to 'Unsupported,' but I haven’t noticed any issues with it. I’ve been playing smoothly with the frame rate locked at 40 FPS. For comparison, I’ve dealt with truly unsupported games like Last Epoch by using tools like Proton GE to force compatibility—but I haven’t even needed that here.

Palworld is in the top 10 most played games on the Steam Deck too for 2024, so don't let a rating dissuade you from your handheld base-building dreams.

Recommended settings for Palworld on Steam Deck

While we wait for Palworld to regain its 'Playable' verification on Steam Deck, you can still enjoy the game with minimal adjustments. To get the best balance of performance and visuals, here are the recommended settings for Palworld on Steam Deck:

• Presets: Low
• Max FPS: No Limit
• Vsync: Off
• Motion Blur: Off
• Anti-Aliasing: TSR
• View Distance: Medium
• Grass Details: Medium
• Shadows: Medium
• Effects Quality: Medium
• Texture Quality: Medium
• Field of View: 85

For more detailed guidance, check out our full breakdown of the best Palworld Steam Deck graphics settings.

Have you noticed any new issues with Palworld since the Feybreak update?

We are so back, or rather Palworld is back. The huge new Feybreak update dropped just before Christmas giving players the gift of swathes of new content and they are enjoying it in droves. While the game is far from its viral heights of over 2 million around launch in January, it's currently hitting its highest in a long time at over 200k concurrent players in the last 24 hours on Steam, putting it firmly back in the top 10 most played Steam games. That's not to mention the unknown numbers playing Palworld on Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation. Could now be a good time to jump back into Palworld?

Is it worth jumping back into Palworld right now?

So what's all the fuss about? Well Feybreak which updates Palworld to version 0.4.11 has some beefy patch notes which include a new island (Feybreak of course), new resources, new expeditions mechanics. raids, strongholds and even new NPCs.

In fact, Feybreak doesn't just add a bunch of end game content, it changes a lot of the early game too, so much so that many players have advising starting again from scratch.

PSA: If you want to get the most out of Feybreak, start fresh. from r/Palworld

Let's check out what's new with the full Palworld Feybreak 0.4.11 patch notes.

Everything new in Palworld Feybreak

New content

• Meowmere from Terraria added (a taste of what's to come in Palworld x Terraria update in 2025).
• Feybreak - a whol new mysterious island with new Pals.
• New Resources - Chromite and Hexolite Quartz (Chromite is buried underground and only found using Pals or items that detect metal.
  - Hexolite Quartz is a rare ore only found on Feybreak Island.
• New Expeditions mechanic - obtain supplies by sending out Pals from the Pal Expedition Station.
• Research mechanic - conduct research at the Pal Labor Research Laboratory and unlock permanent passives and rewards to increase the productivity of your base. Some existing buildings that increase work speed will now be unlocked as research rewards.
• Predator Pals will now appear throughout the world. Earn rare resources for taking them down.
• New 'Bounty' NPCs - dangerous criminals have appeared all over the Palpagos Islands.
• New Strongholds and Stronghold Boss 'The Attack Chopper.'
  -A large and very difficult "Platform Oil Rig" has appeared! Great riches, important supplies and more are stored here.
  -A powerful Attack Chopper guards this rig from any intruders!⤷A smaller oil rig, the "Barge Oil Rig" has been added for beginners.
• Player level cap raised to 60.
• New Raid - Xenolord, a dark mechanical dragon that controls the Xeno army.
• New Sphere Modules, you can attach these to spheres to significantly change their trajectory, and even capture rate.

New items

• Metal Detector - Find chromite buried underground on Feybreak.
• Pouches - Increases your inventory size.
• Double Jump Boots - Stylish and practical, time to double jump!
• Air Dash Boots, - Allows the player to dash while in the air.
• Revival Potion - Bring your Pals back to life
• New cooking recipes have been added.

New modes added

• Hardcore mode - player and Pal death is permanent.
• Random Pal mode - randomizes Pal spawns. Can do this by region or make completely random.
• New area discovery bonus - players will earn experiences points when they uncover a location for the first time.

New weapons added:

• Makeshift SMG
• Makeshift Assault Rifle
• Makeshift Shotgun
• Old Revolver
• SMG
• Semi-Auto Rifle
• Semi-Auto Shotgun
• Laser Gatling Gun
• Plasma Cannon
• Compound Bow
• Advanced Bow
• Katana
• Beam Sword
• Dark Grenade
• Dragon Grenade
• Ground Grenade
• Grass Grenade
• Water Grenade

New buildings added

• Large-Scale Electric Egg Incubator - Hatch up to 10 eggs at the same time.
• Guild Chest - Items placed in a guild chest are shared among all guild chests.
• Item Retrieval Machine - Search for and take any item from any chest within your base!
• Medicine Rack - Pals will take medicine stored to treat their illnesses and injuries.
• Flea Market - Sell Pals and items to other players!
• Large-Scale Stone Oven and Gigantic Furnace - Multiple Pals can work together to cook and refine at higher speeds!
• Skillfruit Orchard - Plant and grow skill fruits!
• Gold Coin Assembly Line - Illegally produced coins, now made at home!
• Ladders - Players can go up and down without needing to build stairs!
• Pure Quartz Mine - Mine an infinite amount in the comfort of your base.
• Accumulator - By storing extra electricity, you can keep your facilities running at night while your Pals sleep.

Player changes

• Players can now sit on chairs!
• You can now obtain Successful Bounty Tokens by defeating field bosses. These tokens provide permanent passives to the player.
• Player climbing speed has been increased.
• Increased the maximum amount of power that can be enhanced by Lifmunk Effigies from 12 to 14.
• Implemented "Sphere Critical" hits! Throwing a sphere at a Pal's weak spot (the same weak spot as when attacking a Pal) will temporarily increase the capture rate!
• Experience points gained from crafting and building have been increased. You now also gain experience points for Pals crafting and building even when you aren't at your base!
• Improved player animations.
• Players will now be invincible for a few seconds after teleporting or entering/exiting dungeons.
• When mounted, Pals now cancel any active skills that are in effect, allowing it to move immediately.

Pal changes and new skins!
6 Christmas skins have been added for all players!
(You must own the Pal to equip the skin)

• Pudding à la Gumoss
• Party Night Depresso
• Winter Style Chillet
• Winter Style Chillet Ignis
• Royal Frostallion
• White Shadowbeak

Limited-time skins are now available to all players!
(You must own the Pal to equip the skin)

• Gold Relaxaurus
• Sailor Quivern
• Summer Chillet

New Unique Skills

• Vanwyrm: Flame Breath
• Vanwyrm Cryst: Tempest Blizzard
• Astegon: Firefist Breathstorm
• Maraith: Spirit Dash
• Verdash: Spinning Roundhouse
• Univolt: Lightning Gale
• Blazehowl: Volcanic Fang
• Ragnahawk: Rush Beak
• Beegarde: Needle Spear
• Beakon: Lightning Dive
• Rayhound: Beckon Lightning
• Jormuntide: Slither Slam
• Jormuntide Ignis: Magma Serpent
• Cryolinx: Blizzard Claw
• Wumpo: Snow Bowling
• Wumpo Botan: Lawn Bowling

New skills

• Ground Skill: Stone Beat
• Dark Skill: Poison Shower
• Dragon Skill: Charge Cannon

New tier of passive skills. A higher tier of passive skills, "rainbow passive skill," has been added! Breed the ultimate Pal!

• "Swift" has been promoted to a rainbow passive skill, and the chance of obtaining it has decreased.

Other Pal updates

• Work Suitability Enhancement Books
  -By using various technique books, you can permanently increase Pal's work suitability
• The limit on strengthening Pals with souls has been lifted, allowing further development.
• If a summoned Pal has three moves on cooldown, it will now use the most basic move of its element.
• Enemy Pals will use every move they know at their level.
• Alpha Pal eggs are no longer all huge but are now each the appropriate size.
• Elemental Treasure Chests
  -Rare treasure chests that can only be unlocked by Pals of specific elements have appeared!

Base related changes

• A function to replace foundation structures and defensive walls without destroying them has been implemented. Walls already built can be upgraded.
• New Foundation Structures: "Japanese Style" structures have been added! Recreate Sakurajima's Japanese-style architecture at your base, complete with sliding doors.
• The maximum base level has been increased to 30.
• Pal transportation work has been improved while the player is not in the base.
• In Single-Player and COOP modes, you can now build much more freely around the world, except in certain dungeons.
• The Pal working state set in the monitoring stand is now saved.

UI changes

• Added a filter function to the Technology screen.
• You can now add Pals to your favorites with a single button in the Pal Box UI.
• Improved Pal Box sorting function for easier Pal searching.
• Font size can now be adjusted in the options settings.
• The player's main HUD no longer becomes hidden over time (this can be reverted in the options).

Mouse and keyboard

• Close any window with the Tab key.
• The right Shift key and right Ctrl key can now be registered in key configurations.

Controllers

• Fixed an issue where the player would continue walking if the UI was opened while moving.
• Changed the cutscene skip button on controllers to Y.

Crime

• Charges have been expanded. Serious crimes, such as "Obstructing Public Officials," now significantly increase the player's criminal level.

Dedicated Servers

• Added a "Maximum number of buildings per base" setting in world settings for server performance optimization.

Balance adjustments

• Weight multiplier for all items can now be changed in world settings.
• Adjusted technology unlock levels.
• Selling prices of some Pals have been revised.
• Merchant stock and prices have been updated.
• Crafting recipes for some ammunition have been modified.
• Boss enemies are now immune to stuns but will stagger when their stun accumulation reaches 100.
• Certain technologies can now be unlocked by defeating tower bosses.

Adjusted work suitability for some Pals:

• Blazamut Ryu: Kindling 3 → 4
• Selyne: Handiwork 3 → 4
• Knocklem: Mining 3 → 4
• Cryolinx: Added Transporting

Legendary Pal updates

• Legendary Pals are now level 60 and can learn more powerful skills.
• Increased recovery amount for Felbat and Lovander's partner skills from 6% to 10%.

Bug fixes and miscellaneous changes

Bug fixes

• Improved base Pals to reduce instances of getting stuck.
• Reduced the likelihood of players falling under the ground after fast travel.
• Improved enemy pathing to avoid walls.
• Enhanced raid algorithms and pathing to ensure raids reach bases more reliably.
• Numerous minor bug fixe

Other

• New NPCs added to various locations.
• Added the "Free Pal Alliance Judicator" to the Free Pal Alliance, now appearing at their camps.
• Slowed down base Pals' work speed animation to prevent performance issues; this change does not affect actual work speed.
• Renamed Paldeck to Palpedia for consistency with other languages.

Soundtrack

• 3 new songs added to the soundtrack. Existing owners can update the soundtrack.

The hype train has got me once again, and I'm currently downloading the huge update

I had been undecided about jumping back into Palworld with the Feybreak update. Since the game is still in Early Access and has seen so many updates this year, I had pretty much resigned myself to waiting for the full launch to start fresh and fully experience everything. However, the excitement from players raving about the new update has made me reconsider. Many are even recommending restarting from scratch to enjoy the changes from the beginning, which makes the idea of returning less daunting for me—I can go through the tutorials again and refamiliarize myself with the game as well as experiencing everything the update has improved. The update is currently downloading on my Steam Deck, and I’m eager to see just how much has changed since my last adventure. Will you be jumping in now or waiting for Early Access to end?

Google Trends is a handy tool for checking popular search terms around the world, and Google has just revealed the most searched games of 2024 in its Year in Search—a summary following the trend of Spotify Wrapped and Xbox Year in Review. The list features some predictable entries and a few surprises. My biggest shock? Palworld landing at number two. And as if that wasn't enough to irk Nintendo, we also have another contender, PokéRogue, sneaking into the end of the chart. But which game claimed the top spot? Here's a rundown of the games the world was 'Googling' in 2024, and to not keep you in suspense, I'm starting from number one.

1. Connections

Following the viral sensation that was Wordle in 2021 (which is still going strong with daily Wordle solutions over at our friends at Tom's Guide), the New York Times' Connections takes the top spot on the list. While it’s not a video game, it’s still a game—one where you group items that share a common theme. And of course, everyone is searching for the answers instead of solving it themselves. Google has officially exposed all of you cheaters!

2. Palworld

Globally, Palworld is the second most searched game and the top video game on the list (it hit No. 4 on the U.S.-specific list). The game took the gaming community by storm in January this year when it launched in Early Access, becoming the biggest third-party Xbox Game Pass launch ever. I'm sure its Google ranking is purely due to people searching for guides like "Palworld how to get Pal fluids" or "best locations for a base in Palworld", and absolutely not for anything like "Palworld Lovander lewds".

In all seriousness, the popularity of the game is well-deserved. Pocketpair has continued updating it, with a Terraria collaboration on the horizon and a new island set to debut—six times the size of the earlier Sakurajima update.

Many were likely also searching for news on Nintendo’s lawsuit against Pocketpair, the creators of Palworld, for patent infringement. As the world puzzled over what the patents in question Palworld is supposedly infringing upon, this likely contributed significantly to its search traffic.

3. Infinite Craft

Infinite Craft sounds like a Minecraft Marketplace mod, but it’s a game in its own right. You combine words, and it uses AI to create a new word from those words… which you can then use to combine with other words to make even more words, and so on. Okay, you get the point.

You start with four elemental words—Water, Fire, Earth, and Wind—which you combine to create new items. It’s a surprisingly addictive loop of endless entertainment and has become a surprisingly watchable streamer game.

4. Sprunki

Sprunki is described as a "unique and interactive music creation game," which… doesn’t really tell me much. Naturally, I had to check it out for myself—or, more accurately, watch Markiplier play it—and I can confirm that if I show this game to my kid, my life is over.

The gameplay involves dragging and dropping items onto the "Sprunki" characters to create sounds and compile your own music track. But weirdly there's actual lore and even a horror mode. Yep, I can see why this game went viral.

5. Helldivers 2

Phew! Back to some video games. Helldivers 2 was the first PlayStation game to launch day and date on PC back in February, a gamble that worked well for Sony, breaking concurrent player records and hitting to over 12 million copies sold in 3 months. We'd like to think an Xbox release of Helldivers 2 is possible in the future, but developers Arrowhead have publically placed the ball in Sony's court on that one.

6. Wuthering Waves

Snagging a nomination for Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards, Wuthering Waves is a story-driven, gacha RPG live-service game. It ticks all the right boxes for success and bears a striking resemblance to the hack-and-slash combat of Genshin Impact—but with some key differences. These include a unique parry-and-dodge system, added mobility with wall-running and grappling hooks, and a smaller, more compact world.

The game also gained significant attention thanks to streamer coverage from the likes of Asmongold.

7. Black Myth: Wukong

Winner of the Golden Joystick 2024 Ultimate Game of the Year and a nominee for Game of the Year at The Game Awards, Black Myth: Wukong was a massively popular title this year—but not without controversy. Its Xbox launch was delayed, and while it has sold over 10 million copies on PC and PlayStation, alleged Xbox optimization issues—or what some speculate is a PlayStation exclusivity deal—have left Xbox players waiting.

The game's stunning visuals, set against a backdrop of Chinese mythology, have captivated gamers worldwide, sparking countless Google searches for guides like how to beat the Black Wind King.

8. Strands

Strands actually took 2nd place on the list if we narrow it down to US only, and is another entry of online games from the New York Times. Your shown a word search grid, given a category and asked to find words in that category on the grid. Simple enough, but not so simple that the world wasn't just going to Google for the answers!

9. Brawl Stars

Brawl Stars is another mobile game on the list from the same creators of Clash of Clans and Clash Royale, which you will have seen in a multitude of YouTube sponsorship segments even if you've never played. The game has fast-paced 3v3 and 5v5 battle modes and a Battle Royale for players to burn their mobile batteries on, and while it's not a new game (it launched in 2018), it's still incredibly popular with mobile gamers.

10.PokéRogue

I promised you another game that would make the Nintendo lawyers seethe, and following Palworld in popularity, PokéRogue closes out the list at No. 10. As you can probably guess by the name, PokéRogue is a roguelike adventure game that combines 'elements' of Pokémon with roguelike mechanics. And by combine, I mean it looks exactly like a Pokémon game.

Developed by Pokémon fans, the game allows you to build different teams of Pokémon depending on the challenges you face. It doesn’t require any fancy emulators and is browser-based, which contributed to its viral status and over 50,000 daily active players. As for why Nintendo has targeted Palworld and not PokéRogue specifically remains a mystery, but both games successfully take the 'pocket monster' genre to new heights in their own ways.

Honorable mentions

You can use the Google Trends tool to break down results by country, so while I've summarized the Global top 10 above, you can also see what the US top 10 was which has many similar titles but manages to see Dragon's Dogma 2 in at place 8 (no doubt due to it's ambiguous and cryptic quest chains requiring a lot of Google searching) and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at no.10.

Some common themes

What stood out to me in this top 10 is the sheer number of browser-based games that gained popularity in the search results this year. Many of them, especially puzzle-based ones, make sense given their accessibility. It’s a reminder that free browser games are still as popular as they were when I was a teenager, sitting in my bedroom playing Inklink on Shockwave (IYKYK). You don’t need to own a $300 console to be a gamer (in fact, as we know, everything is an Xbox). But perhaps the biggest takeaway is that some of the most popular games are also the simplest. I’m already addicted to Infinite Craft and about to dive into more of that myself!

What you need to know

• Palworld just dropped version 0.3.11 which changes the behavior of player-owned pals and UI changes to the reticle.
• The update has caused some game-breaking bugs with Pals and players are unhappy, trying to roll back their game.
• Many are blaming the ongoing Nintendo patent infringement case for this hasty update.

Palworld's latest update is proving to be a controversial one,. Version 0.3.11 just rolled out for Xbox and PC, and has caused Pal-breaking issues that has inadvertently disrupted gameplay and left the community frustrated and scrambling to roll back their games to a previous version. Reddit and Discord are awash with threads on how to "downgrade your game."

As a result of this update, many are pointing fingers at Nintendo, blaming the legal battles for this latest move as it's all to do with how the Pals are deployed in the field.

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What is Palworld version 0.3.11 and why are people mad?

The patch notes for 0.3.11 are simple:

▼Player ・Changed the behaviour of summoning player-owned Pals so that they are always summoned near the player

▼UI ・The reticle will now only be displayed when aiming

Two little lines that have made a huge difference to how the game plays. Right now you can no longer throw a pal to a position of your choosing in your game, they spawn right next to you which is causing a bunch of issues with terrain.

The update today.. from r/Palworld

In fact I was able to recreate the issue myself on my first attempt, logging into the game after the update I hit LB to summon my trusty Chillet — who unfortunately found himself stuck in a rock.

The update announcement alone has been met with a swarm of choice emojis over on Discord, and it's clear players are unhappy with the change. Some even posting tutorials on how to roll the update back.

Why have Palworld implemented this change?

Not being able to 'throw' your pals into battle is a huge downgrade, though as many have already deduced, it's probably only a temporary measure placed until Pocketpair come up with a more elegant solution. As many are already aware, Pocketpair are being sued by Nintendo for patent infringement and have already lamented at the fact they will need to "allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit."

ould this update be a direct safeguard against the patents Palworld is being accused of infringing? For example patent no.7493117 refers specifically to how players engage in launching one creature at another, and thanks to this unpopular update, we are no longer aiming and launching our Pals. Many players seem to agree this is the cause with many threads in support of Palworld imploring the community to not raise their flaming torches against Pocketpair over what is a temporary fix. "They want to bully Palworld out of business and this is just one of those steps, but don't let it happen keep supporting this game and I am sure we will get a reworked system in time."

How to roll back the Palworld update

If like some others, you aren't happy with patch 0.3.11 and want to roll back to happier times when you could throw your Pals with abandon, then there is already a solution at least for Steam players.

1. Press Win + R on your keyboard.
2. Copy and paste this into the Run box and press Enter
   steam://open/console
3. In the Steam console, paste the following command and press Enter:
   download_depot 1623730 1623731 8851472711009350092
4. The download might take some time as it’s downloading the entire game again.
5. Once the download is complete, locate the folder (usually): Steam Folder > steamapps > content > app_1623730 > depot_1623731
6. Drag and drop the downloaded files into your game folder.
7. Go to your game’s properties in Steam and disable automatic updates to avoid it updating again.
8. Play the game with the previous version and enjoy!

Some good news for Palworld, an upcoming collaboration and huge new map

Nintendo woes aside, it's not all doom and gloom in the Palworld sphere, as it's recently made not one but two huge new announcements for the future of the game. Firstly, this month we're getting the "largest, harshest and most mysterious new island" in Palworld, which developers have said will be six times the size of Sakurajima. The update will bring new species of Pals and new tower bosses.

In addition to this, 2025 brings even more exciting updates, with a teased Terraria collaboration on the horizon. We don't know anything more on this other than the issued teaser artwork, but it's clear the developers are pressing on with some huge updates for the community.

If you want to check out Palworld yourself, theres also 25% off right now on Steam.

What you need to know

• Pocketpair, the developers of Palworld, are being sued by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for patent infringement.
• Since the lawsuit was filed in September, Pocketpair stated they were not aware of what they were being sued for, and many speculated if it was the throw and catch mechanic.
• Today Pocketpair have confirmed the 3 patents Nintendo are trying to protect, and they were filed after the games launch on January 19, 2024. Nintendo is seeking 5 million yen plus late payment damages to both them and the Pokemon Company for these infringements.
• The 3 patents are the creature capture mechanic, creature combat and movement mechanic and the dynamic mounting system.

In the weeks since Nintendo announced its lawsuit against Pocketpair for alleged copyright infringement in the popular Xbox Game Pass game Palworld, the industry has been buzzing with speculation over the specific patents involved. With confirmation that the case doesn't pertain to character designs, many have wondered what Nintendo is really targeting. Today, Pocketpair released a statement detailing the exact mechanics that Nintendo claims infringe on its patents. Notably, these patents were filed only after Palworld’s release on January 19. Nintendo is seeking 5 million yen plus late payment damages to both them and the Pokemon Company for these infringements, so 10 million in total which is equivalent to $65,548 US dollars.

The statement reads:

"Report on Patent Infringement Lawsuit

As announced on September 19, 2024, The Pokémon Company and Nintendo Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the "Plaintiffs") have filed a patent infringement lawsuit against us. We have received inquiries from various media outlets regarding the status of the lawsuit, and we would like to report the details and current status of this case as follows:

1: Details of the Lawsuit
The Plaintiffs claim that "Palworld," released by us on January 19, 2024, infringes upon the following three patents held by the Plaintiffs, and are seeking an injunction against the game and compensation for a portion of the damages incurred between the date of registration of the patents and the date of filing of this lawsuit.

2: Target Patents
Patent No. 7545191
[Patent application date: July 30, 2024]
[Patent registration date: August 27, 2024]

Patent No. 7493117
[Patent application date: February 26, 2024]
[Patent registration date: May 22, 2024]

Patent No. 7528390
[Patent application date: March 5, 2024]
[Patent registration date: July 26, 2024]

3: Summary of the Claim
An injunction against Palworld
Payment of 5 million yen plus late payment damages to The Pokémon Company
Payment of 5 million yen plus late payment damages to Nintendo Co., Ltd.

We will continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings.

Please note that we will refrain from responding individually to inquiries regarding this case. If any matters arise that require public notice, we will announce them on our website, etc."

So 3 patents in total, here's what they are and why Nintendo can do this

Here’s the full breakdown of the patents in question as stated and links to where you can read them in full:

• Patent No. 7545191: This patent, owned by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, covers a mechanic for capturing creatures by throwing an object, such as a Poké Ball, in a virtual environment. It involves defining the aiming direction based on player input and determining capture success. Nintendo claims that Palworld’s creature capture system is too similar to this patented gameplay method.
• Patent No. 7493117: This patent focuses on character movement and collision, specifically in scenarios involving character interactions and pathfinding. It also addresses a mechanic where players engage in battles by launching one creature at another. Nintendo alleges that Palworld’s mechanics around creature combat infringe on this patent.
• Patent No. 7528390: This patent describes a dynamic mounting system for characters moving across land, air, and water, allowing seamless transitions between different types of terrain. Nintendo argues that Palworld’s use of a similar system for player-controlled creatures and mounts infringes on this patent as well.

As part of the legal action, Nintendo is seeking damages from Pocketpair for using these systems—despite the fact that the patents were filed after Palworld’s launch. Is this legally sound? I reached out to Florian Mueller, a patent expert and friend of Windows Central who has provided us with for insight on this case before when reaching out to experts in the field to weigh in. Mueller, author of IPFray, who explained how Nintendo are using a 'Parent Patenting' system:

"The patent laws of many countries allow filing patent applications that are derived from earlier-filed ones. In that case, the priority date is the one of the original application. In this case, Nintendo claims earlier priority dates but opportunistically filed for derivative patents that were designed to read on Palworld. Other patent holders have done similar things in their disputes. The biggest issue here is that Nintendo is not asserting patents on genuine technological inventions but trying to monopolize game rules, which the patent system was never meant to cover."

So yes, it's all legal, if not a little underhanded. What Nintendo have done here is file new patents, based on patents filed back in 2021.

Patent laws vary by country, with the U.S., for instance, offering a one-year grace period post-disclosure for filing. Japan, however, has a “first-to-file” system, granting the patent to whoever files first, regardless of when the invention was disclosed. Filing patents after a game's launch is legal as long as it's within permitted timelines. While Nintendo’s actions are technically legal, this strategy has raised questions about the ethics of its approach, with some gamers viewing it as an attempt to corner gameplay elements and 'punch down' on Palworld who have been experiencing record-breaking success on Xbox Game Pass in with the recent launch onto PlayStation (though pointedly, not in Japan).

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"A clear case of bullying"

Mueller has documented his thoughts at length on the matter over at GamesFray, the sister site to IPFray which provided commentary on gaming legal matters, for example the Activision Blizzard acquisition by Microsoft. In Mueller's breakdown he describes Nintendo's use of the parent patenting system as "a clear case of bullying. Nintendo is a far older and larger company than Pocketpair with extensive experience in patent prosecution and patent infringement litigation."

What Mueller also points out, is that Nintendo isn’t after huge damages (the amount requested is relatively small of around $66,000). The real threat to Pocketpair is Nintendo’s request for an injunction—a court order that would stop Palworld from being sold in Japan. Because Palworld achieved most of its success on Xbox (which isn’t as popular in Japan), Nintendo’s patents only target its smaller Japanese sales, but this still poses a significant threat to Pocketpair’s future.

Palworld have already stated that they regret that they will have to "allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit." But have recently made announcements that Palworld is headed to mobile as well as launching free skins into the game for all players.

What you need to know

• Just over a week after Palworld developer Pocketpair shadow dropped the open-world survival RPG on PlayStation 5, it's entered an agreement with a partner to bring it to mobile platforms.
• Specifically, Pocketpair is working with Krafton, the publisher behind the highly popular battle royale shooter PUBG: Battlegrounds.
• PUBG Studios — the PUBG developer under Krafton's wing — will handle the process of making the mobile port. Notably, this team co-developed the mobile version of PUBG that released in 2018.
• It's unclear how Nintendo's looming lawsuit against Pocketpair for Palworld's similarity to Pokémon will affect the mobile version's development, though based on how the PS5 release was delayed indefinitely in Japan, it's likely the mobile edition's will be too as long as the suit is active. 

A little over a week after the open-world creature collector RPG Palworld shadow dropped on PlayStation 5 during a State of Play event, its developer Pocketpair has entered an agreement with a partner to bring the game to mobile platforms. Specifically, the studio is working with Krafton — the publisher behind the successful battle royale shooter PUBG: Battlegrounds that released in late 2017 and has remained popular ever since.

The news came in a Krafton press release early Wednesday morning, in which the publisher specified that it "signed a licensing agreement" for the game. It also confirmed that PUBG Studios — the team responsible for developing PUBG and working with partners to bring it to mobile in spring 2018 — will be responsible for the upcoming port of Palworld. 

"Through this contract, Krafton will expand the Palworld IP to the mobile platform. It plans to faithfully reinterpret and implement the original’s main fun elements to fit the mobile environment," reads Krafton's official statement. "The project will be handled by the development team of ‘PUBG STUDIOS,’ a creative studio under Krafton."

Notably, this partnership comes exactly two weeks after Nintendo announced plans to sue Pocketpair for patent infringement "to protect the intellectual properties it has worked hard to establish over the years," as many of Palworld's "Pals" bear striking resemblances to Pokémon creatures. Pocketpair responded a day later, noting that it "will do our utmost for our fans, and to ensure that indie game developers are not hindered or discouraged from pursuing their creative ideas" in its official statement.

It also comes roughly two months after Krafton acquired Tango Gameworks and its fan-favorite rhythm-action IP Hi-Fi Rush to save it from closure in August. In May, Microsoft announced it was shuttering Tango Gameworks along with Bethesda's Arkane Austin and Alpha Dog Games, citing a "reprioritization of titles and resources."

"Krafton Inc today welcomed the talented people of Tango Gameworks to their team ... This strategic move will include the rights to Tango Gameworks' acclaimed IP, Hi-Fi RUSH," wrote the publisher in a statement at the time. "As part of this strategic agreement, KRAFTON intends to collaborate with Xbox and ZeniMax ... allowing the talented team to continue developing the Hi-Fi RUSH IP and explore future projects. KRAFTON intends to support the Tango Gameworks team to continue its commitment to innovation and delivering fresh and exciting experiences for fans."

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Given that a tentative launch window for the mobile version of Palworld hasn't been announced yet and that nothing is known about when or how Nintendo intends to proceed with its lawsuit, it's unclear if or how the looming legal battle between Pocketpair and the Pokémon maker will affect its development and release. One thing that's likely to happen, though, is an indefinite delay to its release in Japan as long as the suit is active, as Palworld's PS5 launch was seemingly held back in the country for this reason.

Palworld itself stands as one of 2024's biggest games and is regarded as one of the best Xbox games and best PC games to play if you like the sound of blending Pokémon creature collection with open-world survival that's complete with crafting, boss fights, and plenty of guns. It enjoyed an incredibly explosive launch in January, with the title breaking past 2 million concurrent players on Steam and also becoming the biggest third-party Xbox Game Pass launch ever, with over 7 million total players checking it out that month across Xbox consoles and the Microsoft Store on Windows PC.

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Since its release, Palworld has been routinely improved and built upon by Pocketpair, with patches adding its first raid boss Bellanoir, an expansion-sized update with a new island and new Pals, and lots of other tweaks, changes, and additions. The game is available for $29.99 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC (on both Steam and the Microsoft Store), and PS5, though you also have the option of playing it on Xbox or the Microsoft Store through Xbox Game Pass.

What you need to know

• Nintendo and it's partner, The Pokémon Company, have submitted a lawsuit in Japan accusing Pocketpair (creators of Palworld) of patent infringement.
  
• Legal experts have been speculating on the case and what this could actually mean for the gaming industry in and outside of Japan.
  
• Pocketpair has also announced a delay to the PS5 version of Palworld in Japan.

Last week, news broke that Nintendo had initiated legal action against Pocketpair, the creators of Palworld, over alleged patent infringement. While initial reactions speculated that the case centered on similarities between Palworld's 'Pals' and Pokémon, deeper discussion around patent law suggests the issue may be more complex. Although the specific patent Nintendo claims were infringed upon remains unknown, concerns are already being raised about the potential impact this case could have on the gaming industry if Nintendo prevails.

Nintendo has a long history of aggressive litigation, often targeting even seemingly minor competitors to protect its intellectual property. This case could have broader implications beyond fans of creature-collecting games, potentially setting a precedent that may ripple across the industry. Experts in patent law and gaming have begun weighing in, shedding light on what could be a significant and lengthy legal battle.

What does this lawsuit mean for Palworld?

When Palworld first gained popularity, many noticed striking similarities between its characters and those from Pokémon. Some even speculated that Palworld might have copied Pokémon models and made minor alterations. However, none of these claims were ever proven, and it’s safe to say that if Nintendo had found any concrete evidence of copyright infringement, they would have already taken action. Mere visual similarities aren’t enough for a lawsuit, likely why Nintendo hasn’t pursued a copyright claim. Instead, they’ve turned to patents—arguing that Palworld may be using game mechanics, systems, or features from Pokémon that Nintendo has legally protected.

While the exact patent being contested is still unknown, experts have started investigating Nintendo’s recent patent filings to make educated guesses. For instance, Stephen Totilo highlighted a registered patent for the mechanic of 'throwing an item to catch a monster while out in the field.' In Pokémon, players throw Pokéballs to catch creatures, while in Palworld, players use 'Pal Spheres' for a similar function. This could potentially be a sticking point in the case. Totilo also pointed out that while this patent was granted and deemed valid in Japan in 2023, its status in the U.S. remains unclear.  

In the above tweet from Palworld's Japanese account, it seems the release of the game onto PS5 has been delayed. "The release date in Japan has not yet been decided. We apologize to everyone in Japan who was looking forward to it, but all of our staff will do our best to deliver it to PS5 users as soon as possible, so we hope you will wait for a little longer." Could this already be an effect of the lawsuit?

Experts weigh in on lawsuit effects outside of Japan

Although the lawsuit was initiated in Japan, its potential impact extends far beyond. This legal battle could set a dangerous precedent for using overly broad patents to suppress competition. While game mechanics themselves cannot be copyrighted, specific implementations of those mechanics can be patented, which can stifle innovation. A prime example is Warner Bros.' patent on the Nemesis system from Shadow of Mordor, a mechanic where enemies remember past encounters, enriching future confrontations. Despite its brilliance, no other game can legally use it because of Warner Bros.' patent. Unless they create another title using the Nemesis system—which hasn’t happened since Shadow of War—we won’t see similar mechanics until the patent expires in 2035.

Another case is Bandai Namco’s patent on loading screen mini-games, featured in Tekken 5 and Ridge Racer. That patent expires in 2025, but by then, technological advances have largely eliminated loading screens, rendering the concept almost obsolete by the time it became available for use.

“This could be just the first pounding of Nintendo’s giant global IP protection hammer,” says Lisa Phillips, a lawyer at Fisch Sigler LLP in Washington DC. “Japanese patent right ends at Japan’s borders, so it would not be surprising to see Nintendo bring cases in additional jurisdictions like the US or EU.”

I reached out to Florian Mueller, author of IPFray for patent commentary, and GamesFray; well known for his coverage on the Activision Blizzard acquisition case, for his take on how this could look outside of Japanese court should Nintendo win. Mueller went into detail with me about how patents only protect inventions in the country where they are registered. 

So, if Nintendo wants to stop Pocketpair from selling Palworld outside Japan, they would need to hold patents in places like the U.S. or Europe. However, these regions have stricter rules, making it easier to reject patents that don't involve something technically complex. In this case, "Nintendo does not appear to have patents outside of Japan that would cover what the patent family rumored to be at issue in the Japanese lawsuit covers."

Even if Nintendo’s lawsuit never reaches American or European courts, its effects could still ripple across the global gaming industry due to the nature of game distribution. Mueller detailed how, under certain circumstances, enforcing a patent in one country could indirectly affect other countries. For instance, if Nintendo blocked Pocketpair from exporting Palworld from Japan, Pocketpair might have to move its development out of Japan to avoid violating Nintendo’s patents. Whether they can do this depends on Japanese business regulations, not just patent law.

A recent legal dispute which in parts mirrors this issue, is between Microsoft and the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This ultimately ended in a settlement whereby Microsoft relinquished cloud streaming rights for Activision Blizzard games in the UK to secure approval for the deal. Although this decision was made in one region, its impact has been felt globally—especially on Xbox Cloud Gaming. Many users remain confused about why titles like Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 appear on Xbox Game Pass but are absent from the cloud gaming library. A settlement Mueller says "is theoretically also possible between Nintendo and Pocketpair. In a scenario in which Nintendo would have major leverage, but the parties reach some kind of agreement that both believe is better than continuing to litigate, the agreement could also include provisions for what Pocketpair will do in other countries."

Regional rulings can have far-reaching consequences, particularly in an industry that relies on worldwide distribution platforms. If Nintendo were to succeed in its patent infringement case against Pocketpair, the repercussions could extend well beyond Japan.

Nintendo's litigation history 

Nintendo has a well-documented history of successfully winning its cases, even overturning adverse rulings.  One of the most notable examples was a case involving technology used in the 3DS. Initially, Nintendo was found guilty of infringing on a patent related to creating 3D images without the need for glasses, a technology central to the 3DS’s design. In 2014, this decision was overturned, reducing the damages Nintendo was required to pay. The case was eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.

Speaking to GamesRadar, analyst Serkan Toto claims to not "remember a single lawsuit that Nintendo itself initiated in Japan that they lost." Toto recalls the Nintendo vs. Colopl case, a (Japanese mobile gaming company) where Nintendo raised 6 counts of patent infringement for the use of a joystick-like control scheme, and won. 

Specific patents, such as those related to joystick technology and others regarding game mechanics like visibility behind objects, have gone in Nintendo's favor. While these patents might seem broad and industry-standard, Nintendo has still secured legal victories or settlements.

Response from Pocketpair and Palworld fans

Pocketpair has responded to the lawsuit by regret over the time and resources they would need to divert from game development. They have emphasized their commitment to their community and their goal of ensuring that indie developers are not discouraged from pursuing creative ideas. This positions Pocketpair as a David against Nintendo’s Goliath, and everybody loves an underdog tale. 

Fans have questioned the timing of the lawsuit. Why now, and not when Palworld initially launched into Early Access and became the biggest third-party launch ever on Xbox Game Pass? Why not when Palworld trailers were revealed back in 2021?

It may not be a coincidence that Pocketpair has recently entered a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment and Aniplex. This partnership aims to expand the Palworld IP beyond gaming into anime, music, and possibly more. This collaboration could pose a more significant threat to Nintendo in the future, as Palworld is gaining a foothold in areas that could compete with Pokémon’s dominance. Could this have been the catalyst for Nintendo's action? 

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What you need to know

• Pocketpair, the developers of Palworld, are being sued by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for patent infringement following speculation that the 'Pals' resemble Pokémon.
• Today, Pocketpair issued a statement to fans, responding to the news and expressing regret for the time this will take away from development.
• Additionally, they claim they are unaware of the specific patents they are accused of infringing.

Hot off the back of news that Nintendo and The Pokemon Company will sue Pocketpair, developers of Palworld, for patent infringement — Pocketpair has responded.

In a blog post the statement, titled 'Regarding the Lawsuit' expresses regret over the time this lawsuit will take away from game development for Palworld, as well as Pocketpair not being aware of exactly what patents they are being accused of infringing. Here's the full statement:

"Yesterday, a lawsuit was filed against our company for patent infringement.

We have received notice of this lawsuit and will begin the appropriate legal proceedings and investigations into the claims of patent infringement.

At this moment, we are unaware of the specific patents we are accused of infringing upon, and we have not been notified of such details.

Pocketpair is a small indie game company based in Tokyo. Our goal as a company has always been to create fun games. We will continue to pursue this goal because we know that our games bring joy to millions of gamers around the world. Palworld was a surprise success this year, both for gamers and for us. We were blown away by the amazing response to the game and have been working hard to make it even better for our fans. We will continue improving Palworld and strive to create a game that our fans can be proud of.

It is truly unfortunate that we will be forced to allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit. However, we will do our utmost for our fans, and to ensure that indie game developers are not hindered or discouraged from pursuing their creative ideas.

We apologize to our fans and supporters for any worry or discomfort that this news has caused.

As always, thank you for your continued support of Palworld and Pocketpair."

An outpour of support from Palworld fans

The blogpost, which was also shared on X, has been reposted by 'Bucky', Palworld's community manager with a thanks to fans for their kind words and messages.

Fan response has been overwhelmingly supporting of Pocketpair, as this lawsuit is shaping up to be a David vs Goliath kind of situation. Many have shared other games that can bear resemblence to the Pokemon world, such as Dragon Quest.

Business lawyer Richard Hoeg who many look to for takes on gaming industry litigation has even commented on the situation

Most responses have been utter confusion on why Nintendo is raising the lawsuit now and didn't do this when Palworld initially launched into Early Access and became the biggest third-party launch ever on Xbox Game Pass, or even back when Palworld trailers were revealed back in 2021. The Pokemon Company did make a statement earlier this year, though, not mentioning Palworld by name:

"We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024. We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game. We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon. We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokémon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokémon in the future."

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What are Nintendo suing Pocketpair for?

In an interview with Automaton, Palworld developer Takuro Mizobe addressed legal issues with the likeness of 'Pals' to Pokemon, and said that if anything the game more closely resembled ARK: Survival. Speaking on similarities Mizobe noted that he was a big fan and admirer of the Pokemon franchise and being "scared to compare it to Palworld" because of how good the games are.

Mizobe also noted in the interview that Palworld was developed with respect to other companies' intellectual propery, and had cleared legal reviews with no issue. So what is happening now? Why are Nintendo suing?

Well, the key is in the phrasing; Nintendo has specifically used the term 'patent infringement,' not 'copyright infringement.' In an article for Bloomberg, behind a paywall but can be seen here on Yahoo Finance, Toyo Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda had this to say, “Nintendo filing this lawsuit for patent infringement, not copyright violation, means it has given up making the case that Palworld’s characters are similar to Pokémon’s,” Yasuda continues, “But it shows Nintendo has more ways to stop games it doesn’t like. The company owns a lot of patents related to basic game mechanics that are used in many titles available today.”
 
More clues are held in Nintendo's recently submitted patents, including this particular submission to patent the mechanic of throwing an item to catch a monster.

The above patent is registered to Nintendo and The Pokemon Company and was considered valid and registered in 2023. Though this is pure speculation thus far until Nintendo confirm.

So right now, we, and by the looks of it, Pocketpair, have no idea what the lawsuit will accuse Palworld of infringing. But watch this space!

What you need to know

• Pocketpair is the developer of Palworld, a game that launched earlier in 2024 in early access to immediate commercial success. 
• Palworld gained notoriety for its "Pals" and their resemblance to Pokémon. 
• Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are suing Pocketpair for patent infringement. 
• Palworld is currently available on Xbox consoles and Windows PC. 

Buckle up, because the road is getting bumpy. 

Iconic game developer and publisher Nintendo shared on Wednesday that, together with The Pokemon Company, it is suing Palworld developer Pocketpair in Tokyo District Court for patent infringement. 

"This lawsuit seeks an injunction against infringement and compensation for damages on the grounds that Palworld, a game developed and released by the Defendant, infringes multiple patent rights," the announcement reads.

"Nintendo will continue to take necessary actions against any infringement of its intellectual property rights including the Nintendo brand itself, to protect the intellectual properties it has worked hard to establish over the years."

Palworld saw early success in 2024

Palworld launched into early access across Xbox consoles, Xbox Game Pass, and Windows PC in Jan. 19, 2024, quickly blowing up and reaching over 2 million concurrent players on Steam.

Palworld was also the biggest third-party launch ever on Xbox Game Pass, dethroning High on Life and reaching over 7 million players by the end of January 2024. By February 2024, Palworld reached over 10 million players on Xbox, while also selling over 15 million copies on Steam. 

The game quickly gained notoriety due to its inclusion of the titular "Pals," creatures bearing marked resemblances to Pokémon. These Pals could be equipped with guns, as well as used for labor or food.

Since its early access launch, the developers at Pocketpair have continued to update the game with new content, such as boss battles and additional achievements. Meanwhile, Sony has announced a joint venture with Pocketpair to form Palworld Entertainment, for the purpose of expanding the IP.

The Pokémon Company, which handles production, promotion, and distribution of all things Pokémon, is jointly owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. 

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What you need to know

• In a recent interview with ASCII Japan, Palworld creator Takuro Mizobe mentioned that they are considering monetization models, including Palworld going free-to-play.
• Mizobe talks about Palworld as a live service game and how this is often hand-in-hand with the F2P model, but this being a challenge as Palworld has been released as a paid product.
• Mizobe also touched on the rumors around Palworld's use of AI, and confirmed while they don't use it in Palworld, the studio are using in it's aptly named 'AI Imposter' game.
• UPDATE: On September 14 Palworld has put out a statement confirming the interview took place months ago and since then they have decided to not go F2P/GaaS.

UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 14, 2024

Since the publishing of the interview with ASCII Japan which was picked up by multiple outlets, us included, Palworld have put out a statement on X confirming their position on the free to play model. Palworld is not going free to play, and the interview in question took place several months ago, since which the developers ultimately decided not to pursue this model. The full statement is below:

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

Palworld took the gaming world by storm earlier this year, making crazy records for over 2 million concurrent users and becoming the biggest ever third-party launch on Xbox Game Pass. As the virality of the game has now calmed,
the game has still received regular updates including the Sakurajima Update introducing new Pals, a new island and Xbox dedicated servers to improve performance dramatically. Pocket Pair have even added PvP mode.

It seems the creators still face the challenge of how to monetize the game successfully going forward as the game comes out of Early Access, and many business models have been considered. In a recent interview with ASCII Japan CEO Takuro Mizobe discussed the prospect of making Palworld a free to play title.


 

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"To be honest, it hasn't been decided yet "

Speaking to ASCII, Mizobe was asked about future developments for Palworld, specifically monetization. The interview is in Japanese, so be mindful that this is translated in part by Automaton:

 “To be honest, things aren’t decided yet. When you think about it from a business perspective, making [Palworld] a live-service game would extend its lifespan and make it more stable in terms of profitability. However, the game was not initially designed with that approach in mind, so there would be many challenges involved in taking it down the live-service path.” 

"And the most important thing is whether the players want it or not. As a prelude to a live game, it needs to be a F2P (free-to-play) game. It is common for managed games to make it a F2P game and then add paid elements such as skins and battle passes, but Palworld is a one-time purchase game, so it is difficult to turn it into a live game from the ground up. At the moment, we are exploring how to attract more players while still cherishing existing players. There are several successful examples of games that have shifted from pay-to-download games to F2P midway through. In that case, they often give guaranteed items or items worth the amount of money. "PUBG" and "Fall Guys" are successful examples, but both took several years to make the shift. While we understand that live games are good for business, it's not that simple."

"We also get opinions about ad monetization, but the basic premise is that ad monetization is difficult unless it's mobile. As far as I know, there are no examples of ad monetization working well for PC games. Even if the PC version were to work well, people who play on Steam hate ads. There are a lot of users who get angry when ads are inserted. So now we are carefully formulating a policy."

AI and Indie Games 

It's almost impossible to bring up Palworld in conversation and not get embroiled in a conversation about AI and it's use in games, at launch Palworld was plagued with rumors of it's use to create the Pals. This has since been debunked but Mizobe touched upon it again in this interview, and how they considered using it in Palworld but it just wasn't good enough. It is however being used in another of Pocket Pairs games, the aptly named 'Art Imposter'.

"This is often misunderstood, but Palworld does not use AI. We are currently developing AI Art Imposter as our third game, and while we are very interested in AI, we believe it's only now that we are starting to incorporate it into our workflow. AI Art Imposter is the first game in the world to utilize AI. At least on Steam, among games played by a significant number of people, we take pride in AI Art Imposter being the first innovative game that harnessed AI.

The open-sourcing of generative AI 'Stable Diffusion' happened in August 2022. I thought, "This is amazing." While Midjourney was already around, I was deeply impressed by Stable Diffusion. Immediately, I decided to create a game using this AI, which led to the development of AI Art Imposter. We released it in November 2022, making it the fastest release, developed in just about two months.

Our company has always been highly sensitive to technology and naturally focuses on AI, always exploring ways to integrate it into our work. During the development of Palworld, we also experimented with using AI to generate creatures (Pals). However, we concluded that human creation was more accurate. While the quality of what AI generates on its own is high, getting it to produce exactly what we envisioned was incredibly difficult. So, in reality, we didn't use it. Looking ahead, I believe AI will be extremely useful for the gaming industry. Of course, there are many challenges, such as rules and legal issues that need to be addressed. However, AI is expected to dramatically improve workflows, and I think we'll soon reach a point where no one is not utilizing it. At the same time, I believe AI will become one of the factors leading to an increase in indie game creators.

Looking back, the spread of free game engines in the 2010s made it possible for individuals to create 3D games. The use of Unity and Unreal Engine led to a significant increase in the development of 3D games by individuals. The role of game engines was enormous.

I believe the same thing will happen with AI. By utilizing AI, the population of game developers will undoubtedly increase."

Balancing PC and Xbox experiences

In other Palworld news, a recent Twitch event rewarded players with skins for watching partner streams, and unfortunately, the event wasn't open to Xbox players. Pocket Pair has issued a statement on this over on X and is looking to release the skins to Xbox players in the near future.  

Palworld is available for purchase on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and PC via Windows or Steam. It is also currently available to download for free via Xbox Game Pass.

What you need to know

• Palworld is an open-world survival crafting game with creature catching and multiplayer that launched on Xbox and PC, as well as Game Pass, via the Early Access program.
• The game has previously received minor updates, one of which added an extra boss battle.
• The Sakurajima Update is now live on Xbox and PC. It brings both versions to v.0.3.1 and adds a wide range of new content.

A major update has been released for Palworld, the multiplayer open-world survival sandbox by Pocketpair that took gaming by storm earlier this year. Dubbed the Sakurajima Update, the latest patch brings both the Xbox and PC editions of the game to version 0.3.1. The update adds a variety of new content ranging from new merchants, items, weapons, and other cosmetics to a full-on battle arena where players can battle with their Pals against one another. 

Palworld is currently available for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC for $26.89 via CDKeys. The game is a Play Anywhere title, so you only need to purchase once to gain access to both platforms. It is also available as part of an Xbox Game Pass subscription.

Pocketpair released patch notes for the Sakurajima Update on the official Palworld Twitter account, revealing everything players could look forward to the next time they load up the game. A whole new island named Sakurajima has been discovered on the map, with a tower controlled by the brand-new Moonflowers faction. New Pal species can be found on the island with new skills across the board, and all pals can now be dressed up with the new Pal Skins cosmetics. The "Sunglasses Cattiva" skin has been automatically rewarded to every player, with additional skins coming in the future.

Palworld players can also look forward to new UI changes and improvements. Improvements include a lock function in the Pal Box menu, item crafting in units of 100x, increased number of custom map markers, improved UI for the State of Power, and better sorting in the Pal Box.

A full list of changes made in v.0.3.1 can be found below:

Palworld Sakurajima Update v.0.3.1 patch notes

New content

New Island: Sakurajima

The island of Sakurajima is under the control of a new faction, "The Moonflowers." Discover and collect the new Pals that call Sakurajima home and free the island from the Moonflowers' control.

Arena

A battle arena has appeared in the Dessicated Desert. Players can battle against one another with their pals, available in multiplayer only.

New stronghold: Oil Rig

An oil rig controlled by the Rayne Syndicate has appeared in the ocean, and players must work together to defeat the enemies and take control of the rig to secure the crude oil and other resources.

New resource: Crude oil

You can't have an oil rig and not add in crude oil, so players can now extract crude oil as a resource to craft high-tier equipment and spheres once the oil is refined into Plasteel. 

New raid: Blazamut Ryu

Move over, Jetragon. The Blazamut Ryu is now the strongest dragon pal available in the game. Summon the beast and secure it as one of your own in this new raid.

New event: Meteorites

Goodies falling from the skies? Sure, with the new meteorite event that can happen. There may even be an unknown Pal from outer space among the loot...?

New mode: Tower boss hard mode

Each tower boss now has a hard mode.

New point of interest: Junkyards

Junkyards have cropped up around the world, offering players bold enough to explore them the potential to find valuable loot.

New event: Monster nests

Monster nests are now hidden around the island during a limited random event. Players can find and steal eggs from the nests.

New merchant: Medal Merchant

Dog coin is a new trading currency, and the medal merchant can exchange Dog Coin for rare items.

New items:

• Mysterious Accessory Box: Permanently increases the number of accessory slots by 1.
• Concentrated All-Purpose Pal Extract: Increases the rank of a Pal by 1 when used.
• Ring of Freight: Increases your carrying weight when equipped.
• Vital Remedy/Stamina Remedy/Might Remedy/Speed Remedy/Burden Remedy: Permanently strengthen the players' related base states, eliminating the need to level up before improving.

New weapons

• Laser rifle
• Flamethrower
• Gatling gun
• Grenade launcher
• Guided missile launcher
• Multi-guided missile launcher
• Meteor launcher

New player cosmetics

Dress up like your favorite NPCs or Pals!

• Zoe hat
• Axel hat
• Lily hat
• Victor hat
• Marcus hat
• Saya hat
• Lyleen floral cap
• Sibelyx hat
• Leezpunk hood
• Killamari cap
• Cawgnito hat
• Ribbuny headband
• Lamball helm
• Dumud helm
• Swee cap
• Dazzi hat
• Cattiva hat

New pal cosmetics:

• Sunglasses Cattiva

New buildings

• Cold food box: Feed your pals while keeping your food nice and cool.
• Sulfur mine
• Coal mine
• Pal disassembly conveyor: Get rid of unwanted pals without having to manually disassemble them with the knife. 
• Wall-mounted sign
• Refrigerated crusher

New feature: Lock picking

You'll need to find or craft a lock-picking tool, but you can now attempt to pick locked chests with a lock-picking minigame.

New feature: Pal skins

Customize your favorite pals with new cosmetics at the new Pal Dressing Facility. 

Player related changes

Player level cap increased to 55

• New technologies available.
• Upper limit for Pal capture bonus has been increased from 10 to 12.
• Pal Box capacity increased from 480 to 960 pals.
• Lifmunk Effigies max power increased from 10 to 12.
• Added a setting that prevents item pick up if a player will become encumbered.

Base related changes

• Base building system has been reworked and improved, with basic construction now more intuitive and smooth.
• Pillars have been added to prevent players from demolishing supporting walls and losing a second floor to collapse.
• Axis alignment has been added.
• Defensive walls can now be connected.
• It is now possible to connect from the roof, walls, stairs, and pillars to the foundation as opposed to only being able to start at the foundation and work up.
• Glass has been added as a building material.
• Maximum base level has been increased to 25, and number of bases increased from 3 to 4.
• Maximum amount of guild bases can be changed in the game options. Tread carefully, as too many bases may lead to performance issues.
• Maximum number of base pals can now be changed in the game options. Too many may cause performance issues.
• Private lock function for chests to prevent your "friends" from stealing your goodies.
• Permanently assign pals to a specific facility with the monitoring stand.
• Cakes will now be transported to chests as a priority.
• Defense facility specifications have been changed to allow work pals to use them without being assigned when under attack.
• Work priority orders adjusted for Pals.
• Mitigation for Pals getting stuck when a route can not be taken at the base.

UI Changes

• Lock function added to Pal Box menu.
• Player crosshair color can be changed and issue fixed where crosshair would get stuck behind the player.
• Can now craft items in units of 100x.
• State of Power UI improved.
• Custom map markers added, increased the placement limit to 300.
• Improved Pal Box sorting.

Pal related changes

New pal skills (Unique)

• Jumping Stinger (Menasting)
• Rocket Slam (Chillet)
• Protection of Fertility (Lyleen)
• Raging Flame Wave (Faleris)
• Thunderbolt Heavy Tank (Grizzbolt)
• Polyceraunos (Orserk)
• Divine Disaster II (Shadowbeak)

New pal skills (Neutral)

• Air Blade
• Holy Burst
• Star Mine

New pal skills (Fire)

• Flame Wall
• Volcanic Rain
• Flame Funnel

New pal skills (Water)

• Splash
• Wall Splash

New pal skills (Grass)

• Circle Vine

New pal skills (Electric)

• Thunder Rain
• TriSpark
• Thunderstorm

New pal skills (Ice)

• Icicle Line

New pal skills (Ground)

• Rockburst
• Sand Twister

New pal skills (Dragon)

• Beam Slicer
• Comet

New passive skills

• Philanthropist: Greatly reduces the time required to produce eggs
• Impatient: Reduced cooldown on active skills
• Infinite Stamina: Increased stamina (Only on mountable Pals)
• Noble: Pals with this passive will give you an advantage when trading with merchants
• Nocturnal: Pals with this passive become nocturnal and will work throughout the night

Balance adjustments

Due to the increase in accessory slots, accessories with the same name have been changed so they cannot be equipped more than once.

Defensive accessories have been rebalanced due to the increase in accessory slots.

Some pal breeding combinations have changed due to the influx of new pals.

The selling prices of all pals have been adjusted, with Alpha Pals now earning double the price of the normal pals of the same species.

Bug fixes and other changes

Mitigations have been made to prevent an issue causing PCs to freeze when the game is closed.

Changes to the grappling gun make it less likely to get stuck.

Multiple other minor bug fixes.

A warning is now displayed if GPU drivers are out of date.

Six new songs have been added to the soundtrack.

Palworld Sakurajima Update v.0.3.1 achievement update

With this massive update, fans of the Xbox achievement system are certainly going to be looking for more gamerscore to be added. The achievement community was recently in an uproar when the massive hit DLC for Elden Ring was missing achievements, but there is no such upset as Pocketpair has added 570 gamerscore to Palworld with the Sakurajima Update.

While a new bundle of achievements can work wonders to bring players back into the fold of a game, it can also backfire if those achievements feel excessive or too grindy to be worth the effort. Pocketpair may have crossed over that line for some, as some achievements for the Sakurajima update require crafting tens of thousands of units of certain items. These achievements are not retroactive, meaning players who have already met the criteria to unlock them prior to the update will have to do the task again.

The full list of achievements can be found below (⚠️Caution! May include spoilers⚠️) :

Palworld is available now on Xbox Series X|S consoles and PC via the Microsoft Store or Steam. Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play Palworld on console or PC at no extra cost as part of their subscription. The Sakurajima Update is a free update for Palworld that is available now on PC and console.

At the start of the year, Palworld surprised just about everyone when it exploded into early access and managed to reach a peak of 2,101,867 concurrent players on Steam. Considering it wasn't even the full launch, the creature-collecting, survival game felt very polished overall, with plenty of Pokémon-like animals to catch, dozens of items to craft, decent weaponry, and a large world to explore. 

Now, we're getting even more features as explained with the Palworld Sakurajima Update announcement trailer. But when does this update launch?

Exciting new features to bring us back to Palworld

It was during Summer Game Fest 2024 that we learned about the Palworld Sakurajima Update and all of the new features it would be bringing with it. Now, we're just counting down the days until the update launches. 

In the days following the official Sakurajima update trailer, Pocketpair released additional videos and information on social media that gave us the names of some of the new Pals headed to the game as well as some of the new subspecies. This includes the frog-like Croajiro (Paldeck No. 090), Chillet Ignis (No. 089), Frostallion Noct (No. 088), and Robinquill Terra (No. 087). I'm personally excited to jump back into the game and work on collecting all of the new creatures that come with the update. 

I'm also curious to see what the new island has in store. We were shown some beautiful locations in the trailer that included a dappled forest trail, a beautiful pogoda, and a marsh with massive mushrooms. I'm sure there are going to be some surprises in store for us as we explore these new areas. 

What you need to know

• Palworld is the open-world, survival, creature-collecting game that exploded into popularity near the start of the year. 
• During Summer Game Fest 2024, we learned that the Sakurajima Update will bring new Pals, additional subspecies, raids, an arena, a new faction and boss, Xbox dedicated servers, new buildings and levels caps, and more to the game. 
• Palworld Sakurajima Update releases on June 27, 2024. 

During Summer Game Fest 2024, we learned that several new features and Pals will be coming to Palworld with the Sakurajima Update. Honestly, seeing all of these new game aspects is making me itch to jump back into the creature-collecting survival game. 

To fit all of the new content, there is a new island for players to explore — A brief clip showed gigantic mushrooms growing on a marshy location with a frog-like Pal croaking on a dock showcased this new area. We also got to see beautiful Sakura trees with pink cherry blossoms near forested paths. It looks absolutely gorgeous. 

Here's everything that was listed for the Palworld Sakurajima Update:

• New Island: We were shown sakura trees in full cherry blossom bloom and a beautiful pagoda in a forested location as well as enormous mushrooms in a marshy area.
• New Pals: No names were shown, but we did see some sort of green frog, Chinese guardian lion dragons, purple-fire ghost, sentient treasure chests, a two-legged shark-like Pal with claws, an armored knight, a creature with a crescent moon on its forehead, and a massive burly creature with rocky arms. 
• New subspecies: We saw slightly different versions of Quivern, Wixen, Chillet, and more.
• Xbox dedicated servers: This should hopefully help with performance on Xbox. 
• Arena: This location looked somewhat like a circular colosseum where multiple Pals stood around on the arena floor. It's currently unknown how arena battles work. 
• New buildings and level cap: It looks like there are now glass walls and potentially a new house structure. We don't know for sure how high the new level cap goes.
• New raid: The aforementioned burly creature with rocky arms was shown as the new raid. My guess is it will be a rather challenging monster, suited for late game, but we'll see if that's the case. 
• Stronghold - Oil Rig: This new location features extremely tall cranes on a concrete structure. 
• New faction and boss: The new boss is a woman in a black dress accompanied by a Pal that has a crescent moon attached to its head. 

All of this is obviously very exciting for existing Palworld players. However, the fact that Xbox dedicated servers are finally getting added is especially exciting for team green fans. This should hopefully help increase performance for Xbox players.

For those unfamiliar with this game, let me give a little background. Palworld was the biggest third-party Xbox Game Pass game launch ever, with over 7 million players within the first week and a half of the game's release. It combines the monster-collecting aspect of Pokémon with multiplayer survival mechanics similar to Ark: Survival Evolved. That all culminates in one of the best games for grownup Pokémon fans to play with friends. 

This is an exciting week filled with several different live streams from various gaming companies. You can keep up with more gaming news at our Summer Game Fest 2024 live blog run by Jez Corden.

What you need to know

• Pocketpair has revealed a teaser trailer for a PvP game mode coming soon to Palworld called Pal Arena later in 2024.
• In this game mode, players team up with their Pals to defeat rival players in epic PvP battles.
• Pocketpair also announces that Palworld will receive a major update later this Summer, adding a new island, new Pals, buildings, weapons, and more.
• Palworld is an open-world survival game with monster-catcher elements released in January 2024 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, and PC via Windows and Steam.

On April 10, 2024, during The Triple-i Initiative showcase event, Pocketpair released a new teaser trailer for Pal Arena, a PvP game mode that will be added to the popular open-world survival game, Palworld. In this game mode, players will be able to take their Pal creatures and challenge rival players and their Pals in epic PVP battles.

No precise release date has been scheduled as yet for Pal Arena, other than it will be released sometime during 2024.

In addition, Pocketpair has stated that Palworld will receive a major update during the Summer of 2024. This update will include a new island to explore, new Pal species to capture and befriend, new buildings and weapons to create build, and so much more content planned.

Big changes are coming to Palworld in the not-so distant future

Palworld is a game that nobody expected to blow up in popularity as it has now. This Pokémon-like open-world survival game has managed to break con-current player records on Steam, achieve the biggest launch of a third-party title ever on Xbox Game Pass, and helped Xbox Game Pass achieve its best month ever.

Thanks to the addition of Palworld's first raid boss in a recent update, the upcoming PVP Mode, and the major Summer update, Palworld is going to evolve in big ways and maintain its runaway success as one of 2024's best Xbox games and best PC games.

Palworld is now available for purchase on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and PC via Windows or Steam. It is also currently available to download for free via Xbox Game Pass.

What you need to know

• After teasing Palworld's first raid boss battle in March, developer Pocketpair has added it to the game in a new version v0.2.0.6 patch. 
• The update is available to download now on Steam, though Xbox and Microsoft Store players have to wait; Pocketpair says the patch ""will be released when ready" on these platforms.
• The raid battle is against a dark and gothy Pal called Bellanoir. She's a "powerful evil Pal" you can summon by building a Summoning Altar and then using new items called "slabs." Both you and your base Pals will fight her, and notably, there's an "extreme" version of the fight that's more difficult.
• Bellanoir, as well as future raid bosses, can drop Pal eggs when slain. Also, raid bosses can't be captured like normal Pals can.
• Pocketpair says "a larger, more content-packed update" is planned for Summer 2024. It will feature a new island and new Pals, and new buildings, weapons, and tower bosses in the works as well.

Developer Pocketpair first teased the first raid battle for its explosively popular "Pokemon with guns" survival game Palworld in mid-March, and now it's officially here thanks to a new major v0.2.0.6 update. The patch is available to download now for the Steam version of the game, though Xbox players have to wait a bit for it; the studio says it "will be released when ready," so hopefully fans on Microsoft's consoles don't have to wait long.

The raid boss of the fight is Bellanoir, a "powerful evil Pal" who looks sort of like Pokemon's Gardevoir if she was dark, gothy, and had freaky red eyes on her dress. To summon her, you'll need to build the new Summoning Altar structure somewhere and then spawn her in with items called "slabs." Once she arrives, you, your Pals, and other players in the vicinity have to work together to take her down.

Pocketpair notes that raid boss Pals like Bellanoir "are very powerful and cannot be captured" (perhaps players will discover a new version of the tower boss capture bug that allows them to catch her), and there's an extreme version that's even tougher to beat. When defeated, these Pals can sometimes — but not always — drop Pal eggs you can pop into an egg incubator to hatch.

Bellanoir's arrival is definitely the highlight of the v0.2.0.6 patch, but it's not the only thing Pal Tamers can look forward to. Next time you visit the Palapagos Islands, you'll find that there are a variety of new consumable items and treasures to find and use, including "Training Manuals" that reward XP to selected Pals, "Ancient Technical Manuals" that give you Ancient Technology Points, "Homeward Thunderclouds" that teleport you to your nearest base when used, and more. You'll find some of these in dungeon chests, while others can be crafted at your bases.

A few specific Pals like Kelpsea and Dumud got some buffs that allow them to produce resources when assigned to a ranch, too, and notably, players can now change their appearance at any time by making and using an Antique Dresser. Oh, and the rules for building have been "relaxed," so constructing the Palworld base of your dreams should now be considerably easier than it was. For the full patch notes, make sure you check out the section below.

Overall, this seems like a great update for the explosively successful creature capture game, and it lays a good foundation for future raid battle-focused additions to build upon. Whether the fights against Bellanoir and future Pals like her are actually worth grinding or not remains to be seen — hopefully those eggs they drop are rare ones — but regardless, it's nice that fans at endgame-level have a new challenge to overcome. The only bummer here is that it's delayed on Xbox, though at the moment, it's unclear if this is another case of Microsoft's certification process causing issues like it did earlier this year or if the Xbox version simply needs a little more time in the oven.

Wondering what else is on the way? Pocketpair has confirmed that "a larger, more content-packed update" is planned for Summer 2024, which will feature a "new island, home to many new Pals." The developer says "a large amount of new content including new buildings, weapons, and tower bosses" is on the way, too, so nearly every part of the game is expanding.

Palworld Version v0.2.0.6: Patch notes

Here are the complete Palworld version v0.2.0.6 patch notes, taken directly from Pocketpair's official X (Twitter) post on the update.

New Content

• Implemented the first Raid Boss
  • You can summon Raid Boss Pals by using slabs at the new Summoning Altar
  • Raid Boss Pals summoned by slabs are very powerful and can not be captured. Work alongside your base Pals to take on these powerful foes.
  • Pals Eggs can drop after defeating Raid Boss Pals.
  • The "extreme" version of the Raid Boss is incredibly powerful and difficult to defeat
• New "Training Manual" items have been added. These manuals allow you to give experience points to Pals.
• New item "Ancient Technical Manual" has been added. This manual gives you ancient technology points and can be randomly found inside dungeon chests.
• New "Recovery Meds" items have been added. Using these meds will slowly recover your HP over time.
• New item "Homeward Thundercloud" has been added. When used, this item will instantly move you to your nearest base.
• New item "Ability Glasses" has been added. When equipped, you can see Pal's stats.
• New stat boosting items have been added: "Power Fruit, Life Fruit, Stout Fruit". These items will boost Pal's stats when used.
• Added a new passive "Mercy Hit". Pals with this passive cannot reduce enemy HP below 1 when attacking.
• New item "Ring of Mercy" has been added. When wearing this ring, you cannot reduce enemy HP below 1 when attacking.
• New armour "Multiclimate Undershirt" has been added. Protect yourself against both the heat and the cold with just one slot!
• New building "Electric Egg Incubator" has been added. This incubator consumes electricity to automatically adjust the temperature to the optimum temperature for each egg.
• New building "Ore Mining Site" has been added. This mining site allows you to produce ores from the comfort of your base!

Pals

• Kelpsea can now produce Pal Fluids at the ranch
• Dumud can now produce High-Quality Pal Oil at the ranch
• You can now reduce the weight of metal ore while riding Surfent Terra
• Increased the amount of ore dropped while riding Astegon
• You can now raise Pal's rank to the maximum with a single synthesis using the Pal Essence Condenser. (Condensation progress is now accumulated in the individual Pal)
• Negative Pal status will now be resolved after spending some time in the Pal Box

UI

• While aiming a sphere, it will now display how many of the target Pal has already been captured
• You can now check the cooldowns on partner skills for all your Pals on the main screen
• Equipment and item stats are now visible on the technology screen, even if you have not unlocked them first
• The tutorial has been improved and renamed to "Journey"
• You can now show/hide the "Journey" in the game options
• Damage number display size can be changed in the game options. (In Raid Boss battles, the damage numbers tend to overlap a lot and it may be difficult to see, so we recommend adjusting the size)

Player

• Items dropped by players after death on a dedicated server can now be picked up by anyone after 24 hours of real-time have passed
• Added a new "sleeping" player emote (edited)

Base Related

• You can now allow/disallow certain work for base Pals at the Monitoring Stand
• Chest filters have been added. Select item types to allow or disallow inside chests
• Crafted items are now transported from crafting facilities. Selecting "allow transport" when crafting will result in Pals transporting those items to chests when finished
• You can now edit your character's appearance at any time by using the "Antique Dresser"
• Building and building piece placement rules have been relaxed
  • You can now connect stairs facing upwards
  • Roof pieces can now directly connect to foundations
  • Triangular walls can now be connected to stairs
• You can now force a Pal to work and cancel their break by picking them up and throwing them towards a facility (Pals recover their SAN while taking a break, so be careful!)
• Fixed assignments remain fixed, even after bad events occur. Previously, some assignments would change due to certain conditions, but now they will remain fixed unless the Pal is placed inside the Pal Box

Balance Adjustment

• Minimum heat and cold resistance have been added to various armour. You will no longer need to take off your heat-resistance armour when it is cold at night in the starting areas!
• Reduce the button press time in the egg incubator
• Change the pattern for Jormuntide Ignis to something more unique
• Added legendary blueprints for some firearms (Dropped from specific enemies)
• Corrected the selling price of diamonds
• In single-player, it is no longer possible to select the initial spawn point for multiplayer
• Blocked the back of the starting area with rocks to prevent players from getting lost or stuck
• The increased attack power multiplier of partner skills that increase the player's attack power while riding has been uniformly reduced from 2.0 to 1.2
• Eggs now have a small chance to produce Alpha Pals
• Flying and floating Pals are now immune to falling damage
• Shop price adjustments

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug where treasure chests would become empty when dying in a dungeon, etc
• Fixed an issue where the effect that increases the player's attack power while riding was duplicating and accumulating under certain conditions
• Fixed an issue where players were not receiving loot when capturing Pals while mounted
• Adjusted the HP of the Legendary Pal and fixed an issue where the difference in HP between the captured Legendary Pal and the bred Legendary Pal was too large
• Fixed an issue where Pal would eat while riding.
• Fixed an issue where spheres thrown close to wild pals would not hit and be lost

Other

• Improved various Pal models and textures
• Added and adjusted some sound effects
• Many other minor bug fixes

Dedicated Server

• Fixed an issue where sorting did not work in the server list
• Improved the server list to allow page transitions
• Dedicated servers now support various log outputs
• Implemented REST API
  • Please check the tech guide for details https://tech.palworldgame.com

Cheat Prevention

• Fixed a vulnerability that allowed Steam account spoofing
• Fixed 7 other critical vulnerabilities

Soundtrack

• One new song has been added to the soundtrack. If you have already purchased the soundtrack, please update and enjoy the new song!
  • Please note that the soundtrack may take a few days to update

Palworld is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PC via either the Microsoft Store or Steam. It's quickly become the biggest and one of the best Xbox games and best PC games of 2024 so far, and it's also playable through Xbox Game Pass.

What you need to know

• Pocketpair released open-world survival adventure, Palworld, exclusively on Xbox consoles alongside Steam in January 2024.
• The game, dubbed "Pokemon-with-guns" was an instant success, garnering more than 10,000,000 players on Xbox in just a few months time.
• ID@Xbox's Chris Charla announced that Xbox had its best month ever when measured by play time in January 2024, due (at least, in part) to the launch of Palworld.

The instant success of Pocketpair's monster-taming multi-genre-mashup, Palworld, seems to have rubbed off a little on Xbox. Microsoft is notoriously opaque when it comes to sharing numbers about Xbox's player base, but ID@Xbox's Chris Charla recently pulled back the curtain in a news post on Xbox.com. In that post, Charla shared that the Xbox console had its biggest month ever in January 2024 when measured by play time. 

Shortly after Palworld's release, it was declared the "biggest third-party launch in Game Pass history", having already garnered around 7 million players within the first few weeks after launching. Player counts shot up across Xbox and Steam alike, and while we may not know what the concurrent record for players was across the game as a whole, we do know it hit a record of 2,101,867 concurrent players on Steam (based on tracking from SteamDB.info).

The success of Xbox and Palworld in January is symbiotic, with Palworld's inclusion in Xbox Game Pass to more players being able to give the game a try on Xbox and Windows PC without any additional expense or risk. However, Palworld's launch was also heavily steeped in controversy as the developers, Pocketpair, were accused of plagiarizing character models from Pokémon and using AI-generated images in the development process. The accusations, many of which proved unfounded, did not seem to dampen the game's success, in the end.

In sharing Palworld and Xbox's record-breaking success in January, Charla took the opportunity to highlight further ID@Xbox's partner program, which Pocketpair is a member of, and the Developer Acceleration Program. These programs, along with a newly available pitch portal, give more independent developers greater access to pitch games to be considered for Xbox Game Pass deals and additional porting and publishing support. 

What you need to know

• If you were under a rock at the beginning of the year, Palworld was released on Xbox Game Pass and Steam and has now surpassed 25 million players. 
• The Steam version has now been updated to version 0.1.5.1, and Xbox will get the update soon. 
• The updates address a series of bugs and glitches to improve the game. 

Palworld launched 2024 with a bang, destroying everybody's expectations for what an 'AA' game could do. It also showed the power of Game Pass as it allowed strong word of mouth and ease of access, allowing over 7 million people to play it via Xbox's fantastic subscription service. Since that last report, PocketPair has stated that the game has hit 25 million players, 15 million on Steam, and 10 million on Xbox, which is a fantastic accomplishment. 

The newest updates to the game aren't remarkable meta changes, but they are small progressive changes to the game to fix bugs and glitches and improve overall stability that shows the developers are dedicated and capable of making this game one worth coming back to over and over. 

What changes were made in recent Palworld updates?

Two recent updates are worth going over, so let's look at them chronologically. The first update currently implemented on Xbox, which waits for version 0.1.5.1, is version 0.1.5.0. It's worth noting the changes and fixes added in version 0.1.5.0, though, as they are still implemented in version 0.1.5.1. 

The Palworld Twitter(X) account was kind enough to tweet updates and patch notes. Here are the notes for version 0.1.5.0.

There are so many changes in this patch that it's likely not prudent to list them here. If you want to see them all, please check the tweet above. I'm going to share some of the highlights from this update. 

• Implemented backup of save data on the world selection screen.
• Fixed an issue where base Pals would get stuck on top of a logging site, etc. 
• Added measures to prevent the issue where base Pals would wander around and get stuck at the border of the base area.
• Fixed an issue where Pals at the base would get stuck repeatedly starting transportation tasks and the light bulbs icon would appear over and over again.
• Added measures to prevent the issue of base Pals getting stuck in the farm on a roof.
• Fixed an issue where work Pals would get stuck in the summon space of Palbox when restarting the server on a dedicated server.
• You can now adjust the in-game brightness in the settings.
• Renovated the server lobby.
• [Search by server name] will now work.
• Added the ability to view online players on a dedicated server.
• Significantly increased the number of police officers who appear when a crime is committed.
• Increased the SAN value recovery amount of high-quality hot springs.
• Improved interaction accuracy with adjacent objects.
• Added fully supported keyboard key configuration.

As we can see, one of the major focuses of the patch was fixing one of the most annoying issues that Palworld suffered from and that was Pals getting stuck around the base and not performing their tasks. There are also a bunch of other quality-of-life fixes that are a great addition. 

What changed in Palworld patch v0.1.5.1?

While Patch v0.1.5.0 was released back on February 26th, the most recent patch v0.1.5.1 released on the 28th of February. It's a much smaller patch based on the patch notes and the Palworld Twitter(X) account takes care to point out that the Xbox version isn't quite ready yet. 

"Steam version v0.1.5.1 has been released. (Xbox version v0.1.5.1 will released as soon as it is ready)"

You can check out the full post below from the Palworld account with the full patch notes for patch v0.1.5.1. 

This patch had much fewer notes than the previous one so I'll go ahead and list them all here. The main theme of the patch seems to be fixing bugs and other things that might have been overlooked in the last larger patch 2 days before it.  

• Fixed various game crashes.
• Fixed a bug where breeding Pals always had fixed passives.
• Fixed an issue where the increase in condensation progress was incorrect when using Pal of rank 2 or higher as a condensation material (it will increase by the number of Pals used in previous condensation).
• Fixed an issue where the innermost door would not open after defeating the boss of a random dungeon.
• Fixed an issue where the name of a Pal would not change even after renaming them. 
• Fixed an issue where it was not possible to search for spaces or Japanese/Chinese characters in the server list.
• Fixed so that if the server is no longer registered on the server list, it will be re-registered without needing to restart the server.
• Fixed an issue where the settings to enable RCON were not loaded from the configuration file. 
• We are currently working on an issue where auto-save fails on the Xbox and Xbox Game Pass versions. We expect that this will be resolved in an upcoming update.

As we can see from these two updates, Pocketpair realizes they have caught lightning in a bottle and are working to update and fix the game to thank the millions of fans that purchased and played the game. A quick check of Steam charts show that Palworld is still number 6 in the world in concurrent players right around 200,000 concurrent players which is absolutely insane for a game like this. 

While some would like to doom and gloom that Palworld has fallen off, there are dozens of AAA studios that would kill to have 200,000 concurrent players over a month after launch. 

Will Palworld be popular again? 

Again, it's important to reiterate that while the media has mostly stopped covering Palworld and it has fallen out of the gaming Zeitgeist, the game is still extremely popular and performing really well on Steam, and likely on Xbox Game Pass as well. 

From the several content creators I've heard from who played Palworld, they are mostly waiting for new content updates to Palworld to return to it. A lot of people have moved on from Palworld to other survival games like the awesome Enshrouded or Nightingale. I'm pretty sure that if Pocketpair can bring new content to Palworld, in a good state a large number of the initial 25 million player base will come back. 

Palworld hit 25 million players in 1 month, a feat that massive games like Spider-Man 2 and even Halo Infinite could not accomplish. Halo Infinite hit 20 million players in about 2 months post-launch. 

Palworld combines different genres, tropes, and features into one cohesive whole and is fun to play. If Palworld can continue to bring new features and gameplay styles into the game, it can become more than a blip in gaming history. It could be an ongoing adventure that gamers repeatedly return to as new content is released. 

I think the future of Palworld all depends on PocketPair and how they can innovate the game. The game being in Game Pass can help it significantly. If they time their content releases with lulls in Game Pass releases, they could find continuing success over the years. 

What you need to know

• The biggest and arguably the most popular exploit in the creature capture survival game Palworld was the tower boss capture glitch that allowed players to catch tower bosses like Zoe and Grizzbolt that have drastically more health than standard Pals.
• This bug was patched recently with the arrival of version v0.1.5.0 on Steam, though developer Pocketpair says its removal was a complete accident caused by other bugfixes. "We apologize for inadvertently fixing a bug," the studio wrote in a post.
• Tower bosses that were captured before the update can still be used at the time of writing. The original glitch also still works on the Xbox and Microsoft Store versions since v0.1.5.0 hasn't gone live on those platforms yet, though it's expected to soon.
• The v0.1.5.0 update also introduced a large variety of other fixes and improvements, including significant upgrades to Pal AI in combat and during base work.

While players have discovered a wide variety of different useful glitches and exploits in Palworld — you can refresh food expiration timers, duplicate items, and revive fallen Pals instantly, for example — none of them hold a candle to the power of the tower boss capture bug. With this, players could easily catch tower bosses and use them in battle, taking advantage of their sky-high health pools to easily dominate any fight in the game.

Many players expected developer Pocketpair to quickly patch out the glitch given how wildly overpowered it is, but it actually survived multiple bugfix updates since the game's January 19 launch...until now. Following the arrival of version v0.1.5.0 on Steam on Monday evening, the tower boss catching exploit stopped working, which led many to believe it was stealthily fixed with the update. According to Pocketpair, though, this resolution came inadvertently, as fixes for other bugs ended up taking care of this one as well.

"As a result of various bugs that we fixed in the most recent patch, a bug that allowed players to capture the tower boss was unintentionally fixed," wrote the studio in a post on social media. "We apologize for inadvertently fixing a bug."

While Pocketpair's apology does seem to indicate that the developer didn't consider fixing the glitch to be a priority, I wouldn't expect a rollback or anything of that sort. I'm sure someone will make a mod that restores it in some way, though — and when they do, I hope the process is more intuitive than the original method. For the exploit to work, you had to aggro PIDF soldiers, lead them into a tower boss fight, and get them to accidentally shoot the boss before you could capture it with a Pal Sphere.

The good news is that all tower boss Pals captured before the v0.1.5.0 update can still be used in combat or as workers in your Palworld bases (I verified this with my test save and my captured Zoe and Grizzbolt before writing this), so for now, you don't need to worry about losing busted companions you got previously. Also, the patch hasn't gone live for the Xbox or Microsoft Store versions yet, so if you play on those platforms, you still have a window of opportunity to use the glitch before it's gone.

It'll be interesting to see how Pocketpair chooses to deal with remaining tower boss Pals moving forward, if it does anything about them at all. Right now, Palworld is strictly a PvE game, so some ridiculously tanky summons here and there aren't ruining things for anyone. We know some form of PvP is coming in the future thanks to the Palworld roadmap, though, and when it does, we may see the developer step in to restrict the use of caught tower bosses or remove them outright.

On top of laying the tower boss capture exploit to rest, Palworld version v0.1.5.0 also brings a number of different fixes and improvements to the "Pokémon with guns" third-person survival game. The most significant of these are some big upgrades to Pal AI combat and base work behavior, but there are lots of other bugfixes and enhancements, too. The full patch notes can be viewed in the section below.

Unquestionably, Palworld is the biggest game of 2024 so far, and launched with unbelievable success that dwarfs the numbers of other popular new games like Helldivers 2. Just days after its Early Access release, it broke 2 million concurrent players on Steam alone and became the second most-played Steam game of all time, with its 2,101,867 peak only beaten by PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' 3,257,248 record from 2018. It also had the biggest third-party Xbox Game Pass launch in history, and over 7 million fans played it through the Xbox ecosystem by the end of January.

Palworld version v0.1.5.0: Patch notes

Below are the full version v.0.1.5.0 patch notes, taken directly from the official news post on Palworld's Steam page as well as a post from the game's official X (Twitter) account.

Major Fixes

• Implemented backup of save data on the world selection screen
• Resolved issue of unnecessary data accumulating in save data

Key Configuration

• Added fully supported keyboard key configuration

Guild

• Modified specification to allow guild members to be removed when not logged in

Player Issues

• Changed long-press operation during player tasks to allow continuous work by pressing the work button once (This is switchable in the options settings)
• Fixed issue where riding in prohibited hunting areas would not result in a crime
• Improved interaction accuracy with adjacent objects

Pals

• Changed specifications so that when a Pal is instructed to "attack aggressively," the Pal will attack enemies indiscriminately even if they are not in combat
• Corrected an issue to allow Pals of rank 1 or higher to be selected as concentrated material (higher-ranked Pals yield more points when concentrated)
• Fixed bug where if a large amount of experience points were gained and the level increased to 50 at once, Pals would not learn any active skills
• Mitigated an issue where using Mossanda's partner skill "Grenadier Panda" on a dungeon boss would cause the boss to get stuck in walls

Base Issues

• Fixed an issue where base Pals would get stuck on top of a logging site, etc.
• Added measures to prevent the issue where base Pals would wander around and get stuck at the border of the base area
• Fixed an issue where Pals at the base would get stuck repeatedly starting transportation tasks and the light bulbs icon would appear over and over again.
• Added measures to prevent the issue of base Pals getting stuck in the farm on a roof
• Fixed an issue where work Pals would get stuck in the summon space of Palbox when restarting the server on a dedicated server.
• Adjusted the default work priority of base Pals (Anubis will prioritize manual labour)
• Significantly relaxed building restrictions for stairs and triangular roofs
• Fixed an issue where sound would play in an infinite loop when Pals at the base used certain active skills.
• Specifications changed so that all changes in environmental temperature are added up (if you put 4 campfires next to each other, the surrounding area will have the temperature of a volcano)
• Implemented "relax" working style on the monitoring stand

Balance Adjustment

• Significantly strengthened mining power for Digtoise partner skills
• Fixed the abnormally high selling price of nails
• Significantly increased the number of police officers who appear when a crime is committed
• Added electric shock effect to Free Pal Alliance's crossbow
• Adjusted the flight distance of Sphere Launcher and Scatter Sphere Launcher.
• Increased the SAN value recovery amount of high-quality hot springs

Network Related

• Renovated the server lobby
• [Search by server name] will now work
• Added the ability to view online players on a dedicated server
  • On community servers, this will only be displayed if the setting is enabled

Others

• Fixed the issue where Day 5 Memo was not placed
• You can now adjust the in-game brightness in the settings
• Fixed many minor bugs
• Corrected various incorrect text
• Improved measures against cheating

We are currently working on an issue where auto-save fails on the Xbox and Xbox Game Pass versions. We expect that this will be resolved in an upcoming update.

We will continue development placing top priority on fixing major problems and issues. Thank you for your continued support of Palworld.

Palworld is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PC via either the Microsoft Store or Steam. It's quickly become the biggest and one of the best Xbox games and best PC games of 2024 so far, and it's also playable through Xbox Game Pass.

What you need to know

• Nintendo held a Partner Direct today featuring several games from Microsoft.
• The second to last announcement during the direct was that old Rare games would be heading to Nintendo Switch's online service.
• The original Killer Instinct heading over to the Switch was one of the most surprising additions that could lend hope for the future.

While so many people are concerned about the battle between Xbox and Playstation for a dwindling console market, Xbox and Nintendo have silently been creating a partnership that could lead to great things in the future. To the FTC's chagrin, Microsoft offered Nintendo a 10-year deal for Call of Duty to prove that Nintendo is a competitive force in the video game industry during their acquisition of Activision Blizzard and King. We have also seen Microsoft move over games to the Nintendo Switch, such as Ori, and games like Minecraft. 

Does this new partnership lead to a road for more pointed collaboration? Most studios under Microsoft aren't jumping on the opportunity to make a new Banjo game, and many other Rare IPs are sitting unused. With this new friendship, there could be a world where Nintendo-developed Rare IP could launch day and date on a Nintendo console, Xbox console, and PC. 

Will Killer Instinct 2 be multiplatform? 

In a move that started a few years back with the release of the Nintendo 64 version of 007 GoldenEye on both the Nintendo Switch and Xbox, more rare games have hit the Nintendo Switch Online service today. Here is a list of the Rare games Switch Online members can play right now. 

• Battletoads in Battlemaniacs (Super Nintendo)
• Snake Rattle 'n' Roll (NES)
• Blast Corps (Nintendo 64)
• R.C. PRO-AM (NES)
• Killer Instinct (Super Nintendo)

I love seeing Killer Instinct on this list. Our very own Jez Corden recently held a poll on Twitter(X) discussing the potential future of the Killer Instinct series and on what platforms his fans think the game should launch. 

If you haven't voted yet, it's not too late to let your voice be heard. With nearly 12,000 votes on the poll so far, it would be hard to think that Xbox management wouldn't take a look at the results. I think Xbox should look to put Killer Instinct and its sequel on other platforms. Killer Instinct just received some of its first updates in years as Xbox brought back some of its developers to work on the game and hopefully on a sequel, though we have no hard confirmation of that now. 

It would be great for Xbox to move Killer Instinct over to other platforms, even the PlayStation systems in preparation for the release of Killer Instinct 2. In the recent business update meeting held on the Xbox Podcast, Phil Spencer discussed how they decide when to move some games over to other platforms. 

"We see an opportunity to utilize the other platforms as a place to just drive more business value out of those games allowing us to invest in maybe future iterations of those, so sequels of those or just other games like that in our portfolio."

Following that reasoning, it would make perfect sense to move Killer Instinct over to the Switch and PlayStation 5 and build up fanbases on those platforms, especially if Killer Instinct 2 is in the works. 

Will there be a new Banjo game?

Many Xbox fans have been asking for a new Banjo game for years. When Banjo Kazooie first got announced and released into Nintendo's gigantic crossover game Super Smash Bros Ultimate, many of us thought that must mean Xbox wanted to drive marketing for a new game that must be in the works. But it's been a long 5 years, and still no news. 

When Xbox acquired Double Fine Studios, Banjo fans thought we finally had a perfect studio to make a great Banjo platformer, but Tim Schafer shot down those hopes, stating that they wanted to make their own IP. 

Recently, though, we have had hope once again. In an interview back in December, Phil Spencer told our very own Jez Corden, "Banjo fans, I hear you."

While some thought Toys for Bob would be an excellent fit for a Banjo game, and that's a possibility, they were reportedly hit pretty hard by layoffs recently as part of the 1900 employees Xbox laid off post-ABK merger. The best way for the Banjo game to thrive is to take it down one of two avenues.

Option number one: follow a Mario + Rabbids formula where Nintendo allows Microsoft to use its IP to make a Banjo Kazooie crossover, either with Mario and friends or maybe just with Donkey Kong. On top of that, Xbox could also add Crash Bandicoot into the game, as Xbox also owns that IP. It could be a platforming crossover for the ages, and the news of more Rare IPs going to Nintendo today adds fuel to my unlikely dream. 

Option number two is to allow one of Nintendo's highly talented studios to make a Banjo Kazooie game that, again, could have crossover potential or could be a straightforward, fun, Nintendo-style platformer that could then be released on Nintendo Switch | Switch 2, and Xbox on day one. I think this is the route to go. Nintendo has proven they have what it takes to make a fun game that people want to buy, and the nostalgia of buying a Nintendo-developed Banjo Kazooie game in 2024/2025 would be powerful in its own right. 

No matter where we end up going, Game Pass will get us there.

No matter what path Microsoft decides to take, we now know that every Xbox game will launch on day one in Game Pass, so whether it's a new Killer Instinct, a new Hi-Fi Rush, or a new Banjo Kazooie game, Xbox Game Pass will be bringing us awesome new adventures. You can pick up a subscription or add more time to your current subscription below.

What do you think about the apparent partnership between Xbox and Nintendo? Do you think there is hope we will see more direct collaboration between Nintendo and Xbox going forward? I think the writing is on the wall, and Xbox should not be afraid to use Nintendo's dominant position in Japan to spread Xbox games to one of its weakest markets.

Ah, love is in the air, and it's that wonderful time of year when you tell that special someone how much you care. But, while there are several Valentine's cards out there to choose from, few feature your favorite video game characters. Even fewer offer the corny, eye-rolling phrases we all want to see.

No worries. We at Windows Central have created some super cheesy Valentine's Day video game cards for the occasion. Moreover, the Xbox and PC characters we chose all come from excellent multiplayers, making perfect games to play with your significant other tonight. 

Dear John Halo

Halo's Master Chief is really just looking for love. He's put his heart out there to ask if you'll take a chance on him.

He also makes for a perfect partner when running around blasting alien enemies. As for date night material, Halo: The Master Chief Collection bundles several of his best games together, and each title offers local split-screen co-op campaigns. So you can run through these sci-fi shooters on either Xbox or PC with your significant other. 

No more palling around

Time to let that special someone know you're serious? Palworld's 69th Pal, Loveander, expresses the right sentiment for you, even if she's a bit too enthusiastic about it.

Speaking of, Palworld is that survival creature-collecting multiplayer game that exploded earlier this year. You can play with your favorite person while collecting materials and building a base together. When you feel up to it, you can both go after wild Pal bosses and try to catch them. It's a fun title that you can sink hours into on both Xbox and PC. 

Love on your side

With just a "Wololo" Age of Empires, priests have the power to convert enemy units to their side. So it's no wonder this flirty guy is looking your way.

Age of Empires was one of the very first games I fell in love with back in the 90s, and I still play it with friends. Since you can team up with other players and play against other teams (or AI opponents), it makes for a fun date night activity. There are a few games in this franchise, but my favorite is Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, which is on PC and Xbox. Note that you will need two copies of the game and two systems to play it, though. But if that's possible, then the RTS fun it offers is worth it.

Finally, get that bad boy's attention

Many players got spurned when trying to go after Baldur's Gate 3's most romantically elusive vampire bachelor. So here's a chance to finally give that special someone Astarion's attention. 

As for the game itself, I can honestly say that Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the most amazing adventures I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Each of your decisions carries weight, and you get a lot of freedom to tackle challenges creatively as long as you can come up with ideas. Not to mention, your companions, including the aforementioned pale elf, are all interesting and add a lot of depth to the story. 

While Baldur's Gate 3 can be played solo, you and up to three others can join a party and play through the main storyline together. It makes for an excellent standing date night or double date night. 

It's complicated...

Ohhh, this here Xbox Series X is being a bit sassy and makes for a silly Valentine's Day card to share as a joke with that special someone. 

Of course, we'll be hearing more about the future of Xbox from Phil Spencer on Thursday. Either way, tons of excellent multiplayer and solo adventures are available through Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. I love that this service allows me to check out games I might not usually play. I've found some awesome hidden gems in that way, including multiplayers to share with my favorite guy. 

Controller and cuddles?

Xbox Series S is down for a fun time and is the perfect Valentine to send to your love who loves to game. 

That being said, you can't really have a co-op multiplayer game night if you don't have a second controller handy. So, if you don't already have one, take some time to grab one of the best Xbox Controllers for your favorite person. They come in so many colors and designs that you can find a look your significant other likes best. These controllers are obviously designed for Xbox Series X|S, but they're also a favorite for PC as well.

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!

That's it for Windows Central's video game Valentine Cards roundup this year. Feel free to send these cards to someone special and consider having an awesome date night playing a fun multiplayer game for two (or more if you want to do a double date).

I love playing co-op multiplayer games with my husband and am constantly looking for fun new games to share with him. There are plenty of different genres of games, so you can always find something you both will enjoy.

What you need to know

• On launch, Palworld took the world by storm becoming the surprise hit of early 2024. 
• Since its meteoric rise, it has only had one place to go: down. Twitch viewership is down 65% since launch.
• Palworld is not a 'live service' game yet, because new content hasn't been released and for the game to continue to have this high of engagement is a good sign. 

There is a lot of talk out there that Palworld is dying or even might be in trouble. There is a sentiment like this quote by Nico Arnold from GamingGadgets.de:

"The significant drop in Twitch numbers presents a new challenge for Palworld's developers. It will be intriguing to observe how they navigate this phase and what strategies they will employ to maintain an active player base in the face of these changes."

I find this disingenuous as the game is still outperforming any game released in 2024 on Steam, and the developers have already had the fan base buy-in with the initial purchase. If the game was a free-to-play model, there might be a concern. Still, all the Palworld developers need to do is make a good, enticing DLC that they can charge $9.99 for, and they will have a great model to continue to create and provide content to the 19 million + players who bought Palworld or played it on Game Pass. 

Twitch viewership is also a flawed metric to judge a game's success or user interest. However, even if Palworld has fallen off in the zeitgeist of gamers, that is ok, and a game doesn't need to live forever to provide value to the market. 

Is Palworld still popular on Twitch?

In a new report by GamingGadgets.de, an analysis revealed that Palworld viewership is down 65% in the last two weeks. This comes at a time when many other news outlets are also talking about a decrease in player count. As of this morning, Palworld is still around 460,000 concurrent players and 3rd overall on Steam. Just because the game doesn't keep 2,000,000 concurrent players like it had at its peak doesn't mean it is dying. 

The report by GamingGadgets.de paints the drop in viewers of Palworld negatively but fails to consider that most people don't choose to watch a game. They are watching content creators, and once their favorite content creator moves on to a new game, so does the viewership. Here is the quote from GamingGadgets.de

"The online data shows that the average viewing numbers have dropped by more than 65% from a staggering 184,615 at the game's peak to a little over 50,000 people. It was also discovered that the total hours watched for Palworld over the same period dropped by 65% from 53,160,669 to 18,223,383."

Viewership has shifted back to old fan favorites like Minecraft and World of Warcraft as phase 2 of Season of Discovery just released, as well as a ton of viewership moving to Sony's first day and date published game to hit Steam in Helldivers 2, which is doing fantastic. 

Will Palworld be successful in the future?

One of the worst things we, as gamers and media, can do is send a message to the world and game developers that a game is only good if it can hold the community's attention forever. We don't expect this from a book, TV show, or Movie. Most entertainment is a singular experience, and it's about the journey along the way and the memories gained, not some dragged-out grind required to experience the whole gamut of the game's content.  

Palworld has fewer players because it is possible to experience everything in the game in 40 to 50 hours. Many players caught all the Pals they wanted, built their super base, and hatched their favorite Pals from eggs. For a game still technically in Early Access, Palworld hit unbelievable heights. Palworld's developer, Pocket Pair, should not stress about how to bring back all 19 million players. They should focus on making a great game, giving new content, and delivering on the road map they presented. 

The best part of being a gamer is that there are always new experiences to try and enjoy. The industry grows as gamers focus on more games and begin grazing more and more, trying out different platforms, publishers, and genres. There is no better way to enjoy a massive selection of games than through Xbox or PC Game Pass. If you haven't tried Game Pass out or need to add some more time to your subscription, check out the deals below. 

I'm not worried about Palworld's future. The game should continue to be good and not stress about artificially forcing player engagement through grind mechanics or time-gating content. If it does this, it will continue to be one of the best games of 2024. 

What you need to know

• Apple's Vision Pro, an augmented reality headset, recently launched and is taking the tech world by storm.
• Palworld, a smaller game, launched to become the 2nd highest concurrent player count on Steam ever.
• Alex Volkov on Twitter (X) showed Palworld running on the Apple Vision Pro, and the need for native game support for more AR glasses became immediately apparent. 

If you haven't had your Twitter (X), Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok feed filled with people running around with Apple Vision Pros on their heads on the Subway, driving their car, or getting pulled over, then consider yourself lucky. For most of us, the device is causing quite a stir in the tech world, and the FOMO is kind of real, but at $3500, it's hard to justify the purchase price. Luckily, what we discuss today can also be achieved on the much cheaper but still great XREAL Air 2 Pros. In fact, we even did a head-to-head comparison of the Apple Vision Pro and XREAL's new Air 2 Ultra, which just released at $700.  

There is a real chance that where VR has failed to take off, AR might be able to succeed. The Apple Vision Pro has sparked interest in AR devices, but the price is obviously not consumer-friendly. We discussed this week how the Hololens 3 from Microsoft has a chance to be the AR device we all need right now. So, let's take a look at Palworld running on the Apple  Vision Pro and delve into the potential future of gaming. 

Can you play games on the Apple Vision Pro?

In the post above from Twitter (X) user @altryne, we can see Palworld running on the Apple Vision Pro through Steam Link with a Bluetooth Xbox controller. While admittedly, Alex missed the plot here by playing the game on an uncomfortable chair at the kitchen sink instead of relaxing in a recliner, the proof of concept is still fantastic. 

Alex explained the experience is actually quite smooth and playable. One thing gamers all know is that convenience is important for gaming. If you get the itch to play but have to spend 30 minutes fixing settings, updating drivers, get everything synced, sometimes it kills the mood, and we just do something else. Hopefully, Apple sees the desire for games natively on the Apple Vision Pro, and with the M2 chip inside, it should be able to play some games natively. 

Is augmented reality the future of gaming?

We have heard that gamers have not successfully adopted VR as corporations wanted. Recently, during Ubisoft's Q3 earnings Q&A, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot talked about the disappointment that VR has been but praised the Apple Vision Pro.

"We have been a bit disappointed by what we were able to achieve on VR with Assassin’s Creed."

"It did okay, and it continues to sell, but we thought it would sell more, so we are not increasing our investment on VR at the moment because it needs to take off."

"We have been very impressed by what Apple came up with, and we think it’s fantastic hardware, but we continue to look at this VR business as something that we have to look at but not invest too much in until it grows enough." — Yves Guillemot

I am personally betting on augmented reality over virtual reality. For one thing, augmented reality is understood by millions of people thanks to scenes from Marvel's Iron Man and other MCU movies. You see a demo of it and immediately think, 'Oh, like Iron Man.' Virtual reality, though, closes you off from the world and leads to running into walls or punching somebody as they walk by you. 

Microsoft has a real chance to compete in Augmented reality, especially with the Game Pass library. If Microsoft announced the HoloLens 3 this year and it had a Game Pass app native on it that could stream AAA games over XCloud, you could connect it to your Xbox Series X or PC via USB but also had an APU that could run smaller AA or independent titles natively all for under $1000, they could blow this market wide open. 

With all of that being said, if you're itching to play some games in augmented reality but can't justify shelling out a couple of mortgage payments for the Apple Vision Pro, check out the XREAL Air 2 Pros below or the XREAL Air 2 Ultra's on XREAL's web site.

Another week gone by means another wave of stories. This week we saw a surprise game surpass Palworld on the Steam Top Seller list, received confirmation that Microsoft will not ship Windows 12 this year, and laughed at a funny video comparing Microsoft HoloLens and Apple Vision Pro. It wasn't all laughs, however, as we also saw debates rage about how Microsoft should handle Xbox exclusivity on consoles.

Here are all the biggest stories from the last week, plus a roundup of our reviews and the best deals that are still live.

No Windows 12 this year

Microsoft will release a new version of Windows in 2024, but it will not be Windows 12. Instead, the major update rolling out in autumn (in the northern hemisphere) will be called Windows 11 version 24H2. This name convention aligns with previous major releases from Microsoft, but it also confirms that we won't see Windows 12 any time soon.

"Starting with Build 26-xx today, Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels will see the versioning updated under Settings > System > About (and winver) to version 24H2. This denotes that Windows 11, version 24H2 will be this year’s annual feature update." said Microsoft in the notes for Windows 11 Build 26052 (emphasis Microsoft's).

Some had speculated that Windows 12 would come out this year, but Microsoft's build notes clarify that not to be the case. Our Senior Editor Zac Bowden explained why the next release won't be Windows 12 last week. Bowden appeared to hit the nail on the head, as less than one week later Microsoft confirmed Windows 11 version 24H2 will be the next major update to the OS.

Palworld loses top spot on Steam

Palworld has been the talk of the town since it launched, but a lesser-known title beat out Palworld on Steam's Top Sellers list. Helldivers 2, a co-op third-person shooter, worked its way all the way up to the number two spot on that list, only trailing Valve's Steam Deck.

It's important to note that Helldivers 2 did not surpass Palworld in terms of total installs. Rather, the revenue generated by Helldivers 2 over the last 24 hours compared to Palworld's revenue in the same timeframe is what's being compared. That figure includes all sources of revenue driven by a game, including base game purchases, DLC content sales, and in-game transactions. Steam explains how its top sellers chart works in an FAQ page:

"For each game, we roll up all the player spending from the trailing 24 hours, and then add extra weight to spending in the last 3 hours. That extra weighting of the most recent spending helps Steam to more quickly reflect changes, like a popular new release or a game trending upward."

Helldivers 2 is also notable because it is the first PlayStation exclusive that launched on PS5 and PC simultaneously. While popular titles such as God of War, Marvel's Spider-Man, and Death Stranding are available on PC, they were exclusive to PlayStation for either months or years depending on the game.

While Helldivers 2 is near the top of Steam's top seller list, the game has mixed reviews due to matchmaking issues and crashes. Those issues occur on both the console and PC version of the game. A hotfix already rolled out, but problems remain.

Apple Vision Pro vs HoloLens

On the lighter side of things, a funny satirical video about Apple Vision Pro and HoloLens made the rounds this week. YouTuber SAMTIME pokes fun at all big tech companies, and his latest video compares Microsoft's HoloLens to Apple Vision Pro. In it, he pretends to be a Microsoft employee complaining about how Apple Vision Pro copied HoloLens.

• Related: Apple Vision Pro vs. XREAL Air 2 Ultra

While SAMTIME's video is playful and entertaining, it does raise some good points. Microsoft had a fully functional augmented reality headset years ago but has since abandoned it. Windows Mixed Reality is being deprecated. In fact, the latest Windows 11 Insider build is the first to not support Windows Mixed Reality.

Xbox exclusivity drama

Following rumors of Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves potentially launching on PlayStation or Nintendo Switch, Xbox fans and the gaming industry as a whole started asking questions about the future of Xbox. Some are worried that a shift away from console exclusivity could lead to Microsoft abandoning its gaming hardware efforts. Others believe Microsoft is trading short term gains for long term issues. The noise got so loud that Microsoft announced a "business update event" to clear things up.

"We're listening and we hear you," said Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer. "We've been planning a business update event for next week, where we look forward to sharing more details with you about our vision for the future of Xbox. Stay tuned."

While that event should answer some questions, it hasn't happened yet, so debates continue. Of course, even if that question answers what Microsoft's plans are, it won't end arguing about if those plans are good.

I shared a poll this week asking if Microsoft-made games should remain exclusive to Xbox when it comes to console gaming. Thousands of votes have poured in, and the majority of people (54% at time of publication) believe that all Microsoft-made games should be exclusive to Xbox consoles. Another 27% think games from certain studios should remain exclusive to Xbox hardware. Somewhat surprisingly, 19% of voters said that no Xbox games should be exclusive.

That poll is still live, and I'll keep it up over the weekend to get more input.

Reviews

From a game console that looks like a slider phone from 2004 to a gaming PC with a screen built in, we look at some fun gadgets each week at Windows Central. Toss in some reviews of the Halo TV series and a controller and you have a lot of reviews to catch up on!

• AYANEO Slide review: A full keyboard for portable interaction with text-heavy games, chats, and browsers
• GameSir G8 Galileo controller review: Taking the lead for Xbox cloud gaming on mobile
• JSAUX Carrying Case for Legion Go review: A safe way to travel with your gaming handheld and its accessories
• Halo TV series Season 2, Episode 1 review: Successfully shifting the balance of power
• Halo TV series Season 2, Episode 2 review: Slow and steady healing
• HYTE Y70 Touch review: A 4K 60Hz screen built into an extravagant PC case let down by bloated software

Deals

Tech is great. Spending too much on tech is not. That's why each week we keep an eye out for the best deals. Recently, we spotted a huge discount on the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro Xbox Headset and a great deal on the Surface Laptop Studio 2. There are also some older deals that aren't quite as good as when they launched but that are still live.

What you need to know

• Helldivers 2, a new co-op third-person shooter from Arrowhead Game Studios, is scheduled to release tomorrow on February 8, 2024 on both PC and PS5.
• It's the first console exclusive published by PlayStation Studios to launch on PC and PS5 simultaneously, and it's surpassed Palworld on Steam's Top Sellers chart.
• The game allows teams of up to four players to jump into action-packed, high-octane missions where they'll face off against hordes of aliens and robots. Teamwork is strongly emphasized, and you'll be able to upgrade your characters and use "stratagems" like turrets to even the odds.
• Notably, Helldivers 2 has full cross-platform play support, so players on PC and PS5 will be able to play together without issues or limitations.

Since its January 19 launch last month, Pocketpair's "Pokémon with guns" survival game Palworld has dominated Steam's Top Sellers list (it's performed exceptionally on Xbox, too). It sold 8 million copies in under six days, after all, and has been the fastest-selling paid game on Valve's platform for the past few weeks. Now, though, it's been dethroned — at least temporarily — by a new title from PlayStation Studios.

That game is Helldivers 2, a chaotic co-op third-person shooter from Arrowhead Game Studios that's available to buy now and slated to release on both PS5 and PC tomorrow on February 8. It's flying off the digital shelves so fast that it's surpassed even Palworld on the Top Sellers chart, as well as other popular new games like Enshrouded and Granblue Fantasy: Relink.

Notably, Helldivers 2 is the first PlayStation exclusive that Sony has brought to PS5 and PC simultaneously. Though past PS4 and PS5 exclusives like God of War, Marvel's Spider-Man, and Death Stranding have come to PC eventually, they were first available exclusively on Sony's consoles for several months or years.

What is Helldivers 2?

Helldivers 2 is a sequel to — you guessed it — Helldivers, a 2015 cooperative sci-fi top-down shooter that was notable for its arcadey action, comedic dialogue, and its Starship Troopers-style depiction of a highly militarized humanity blowing extra-terrestrial threats to pieces. The new game looks to follow that same direction, though it's bringing the series to third-person and has a much more realistic, gory, and gritty art direction.

In it, you'll join "The Galaxy's Last Line of Offense," teaming up with up to three other players to shoot your way through a variety of action-packed missions and battlefields. You'll face off against hordes of both vicious alien creatures and deadly high-tech robots, upgrading your gear and unlocking new "stratagems" like turrets to help you "deliver liberty." The official launch trailer for the game can be watched with the embed above.

According to the description of Helldivers 2 on its Steam page, teamwork will be key to your squad's success. "This war will be won or lost depending on the actions of everyone involved," it says. "We stand together, or we fall apart." Make sure to communicate with your fellow Helldivers if you're planning on leaping into the fray (don't miss Helldivers 2's PC system requirements, either).

A first for PlayStation Studios publishing

Sony's decision to launch Helldivers 2 on PC and PS5 at the same time is quite a surprise, and a pleasant one at that. PC gamers are used to having to wait years before they can check out PlayStation console exclusives, so it's awesome that this one is releasing on both platforms simultaneously. Whether or not this becomes a more common occurrence in the future remains to be seen, but I'm sure Sony's executives are happy to see Helldivers 2 selling so well on Steam before it's even playable.

As for the game itself, it looks like it'll be an absolute blast to play at a glance, and I love the aesthetics of this grounded sci-fi style — and many others do, too, if those surging Steam sales are anything to go by. I'll probably wait to see more gameplay and read some reviews before I pull the trigger on it, but if Helldivers 2 is received positively, I'll definitely be picking it up. I'm always looking for new things to play with my friends, and whenever we're in the mood for some frenetic, high-octane action, jumping into this might just be the perfect way to scratch that itch.

Helldivers 2 is scheduled to launch on February 8, 2024 on both PS5 and PC, and might just end up being one of the best PC games of the year. It's available to preorder now for $39.99, and you'll get some snazzy armor cosmetics if you buy it ahead of its release. Notably, the game also supports cross-platform play between PS5 and PC. 

While you'll mainly get most of the Pals in Palworld by catching them, that's not the only way you can grow your army of adorable elemental beasts. It's also possible to obtain Pals through breeding, which is a process that involves sending two of your existing pets off to a Breeding Farm and then using an Egg Incubator to hatch the egg they produce.

Provided you're willing to invest the time and resources it requires, breeding will be one of the most useful Palworld mechanics you engage with in your playthrough. Depending on which Pals you breed, you'll be able to hatch many late game Pals much earlier than you'd be able to capture them, and can even obtain extremely rare ones like Jormuntide.

The downside of breeding, however, is that there are upwards of 20,000 different combinations in total, and trying to keep track of all that data on your own is a nightmare. Thankfully, though, the team over at Palworld.gg has built a nifty Palworld breeding calculator that you can reference as you play.

Palworld: Breeding calculator for every combo

There are a few different community sites that track breeding combos, but Palworld.gg's breeding calculator is my favorite of the lot by far. Not only does it allow you to see what offspring you'll get from random parent Pal combinations, but it also has a second page with charts for every breeding combo a Pal can be part of, either as a parent or as a child.

Using this calculator, I figured out that you could breed an Anubis — one of the best Pals in all of Palworld for base work as well as combat — by breeding a Relaxaurus with a Celaray. Both of these Pals can be caught in early game areas well before reaching Level 20; capturing the Alpha Pal boss version of Anubis isn't something you can realistically do until around Level 43-45.

That valuable functionality is enhanced by the clean and simple interface that's very easy to use on both desktop and mobile, and it even has a search bar that helps you quickly look up specific Pals to add to the calculator. The webpage itself also loads near-instantaneously, which isn't always something you can say about quickly put together sites like this one.

Ultimately, the Palworld community couldn't ask for a better breeding resource, and if you're planning on doing a lot of Pal breeding, I can't recommend using it enough. Don't miss our full Palworld breeding guide if you're not sure how to get started with the process!

Palworld is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PC via either the Microsoft Store or Steam. It's quickly become one of the best Xbox games and best PC games of 2024 so far, and it's also playable through Xbox Game Pass.

If you're trying to cook food or breed Pals in Palworld, then one of the most important ingredients you need is Honey. This semi-rare resource is dropped by certain Pals when they are defeated. But if you want to create more of a golden goose scenario where you can continue to get Honey over time, you'll want to establish a Ranch at your base with Honey-producing Pals. 

Don't worry. I'm here to explain how to do that. I'll start with a list of all Pals that drop Honey including a map showing where they spawn. After that, I'll explain how to farm Honey from your base so you can get cooking. Remember, Honey is necessary for Palworld breeding, which requires you to have baked a cake. 

Palworld: Which Pals drop Honey?

• Beegarde - spawns all over the Verdant Brook region of the Palworld map. 
• Elizabee - spawns all over the Verdant Brook region of the Palworld map.
• Cinnemoth - spawns all over the Moonless Shore region of the Palworld map. 
• Warsect - spawn in the No. 2 Wildlife Sanctuary on the northwest side of the map.
  
  *Check the above maps to see where these locations are. 

Palworld: How to farm Honey at your base

Once you have caught at least one Pal that can drop Honey, you can set them to work at your base so they continue to produce said Honey. First off, you'll need to build a Ranch, if you haven't done so already. Then drop the Honey-producing Pal in your Palbox and it will set to work.  

Spend some time exploring, capturing Pals, or working on your base to pass some time. Then after a while, return to the base and pick up any Honey that has been produced from the Ranch. Note that some of your farmed goods might be lying around on the Ranch floor while others might be inside the box attached to the Ranch. So check both places to see what exactly has been created. 

With Honey in your inventory, you can cook several dishes that require this ingredient as long as you have built a Cook Pot, which unlocks at Level 17. If you haven't built one yet, take the time to make one. You'll be able to make more nutrious food. Perhaps the most important recipe is for a cake, which is necessary for breeding in Palworld. Each cake requires the following ingredients: 

• 5 Flour
• 8 Red berries
• 7 Milk
• 8 Egg
• 2 Honey

Put these ingredients in a Cook Pot and then get ready to hold F for a while to cook it. If you have a Pal with a higher Kindling level, pull it out to make the cooking process go faster. Eventually, you'll get a cake, which you can deposit into your Breeding Farm box and start the breeding process. 

As you continue to play Palworld, you'll soon find that you require Pure Quartz in order to build or craft certain things. Unfortunately, quartz isn't one of the most ubiquitous resources in Palworld, so you'll need to go to a very specific region if you want to farm a lot of it at a time. 

Don't worry. I'll show a map of what region exactly to go to get Palworld quartz and I'll also pinpoint a specific spot on the map that's ideal for setting up a quartz base. 

Palworld Pure Quartz loctions

There are a couple of reasons why Pure Quartz is difficult to get in Palworld. First off, it is rarer than some other materials and only spawns in the snowy Astral Mountains in the northern region of the map. Secondly, it's very cold up there so you will need to wear armor that makes you resistant to the cold. Even then, it can get so cold at night that you might need to have a fire Pal out to keep you from freezing. So make sure to travel prepared when you go to harvest Pure Quartz. 

I specifically recommend taking a fire flyer like Vanwyrm and a fire land mount like Pyrin while searching for Pure Quartz. Of course, if you plan to mine it yourself then you'll also need to bring a pickaxe with you. So make sure you have one crafted and in your inventory before you head north.

So what exactly are you looking for? Pure Quartz is similar in shape to Ore deposits, but it is more white-blue and black rather than reddish brown and has more crystalized formations sprouting from it. It can be found just about anywhere in these chilly mountains, such as in caverns, on frozen lakes, or on the side of the mountain. 

However, the very best place to find it is on top of a round mesa located to the southwest of the Unthawable Lake fast-travel statue. To be more clear, it's not too far into the snowy area when coming up from the green stretch of land to the south that has a bunch of ancient ruins. 

Where to set up a Pure Quartz mining base

If you've unlocked the ability to do so, you might want to even set up a Pure Quartz base at this Pure Quartz spawning spot so that you can more easily maintain a steady flow of the valuable mineral. Set up this camp with some of your best mining Pals such as Digitoise, Reptyro, Quivern, Anubis, and Mammorest. Then check back and reap the rewards of their labors. 

With that all set up, you'll be rolling in Palworld Pure Quartz in no time and can continue to build and craft to your heart's content. 

In case you haven't heard yet, Palworld is the monster-taming survival adventure that has taken gaming by storm. The game has been surrounded by controversy while still managing to reach insane sales goals in just a few days, and you can play it on Xbox Game Pass right now. Whether you're just getting started in Palworld or you're a seasoned tamer who has caught all of your Pals the hard way, you've probably stumbled across the Breeding Farm in the game's tech tree. But do you know how to make the most of this vital building?

The Breeding Farm allows players to take Pals currently in their possession and breed them (with the power of cake) to produce eggs. At first glance that seems obvious. Breed a Cattiva with a Cattiva to get another Cattiva. The question is, why would you want to do this if you've already caught that Pal? Breeding Pals can give you a chance to create Fusion Pals, unique creatures that can be a little harder to find in the wild. It can also allow you to select traits and attributes for your Pals so that you can create the best possible variant for your party.

Unlocking the necessary technology

Before you can get started with breeding Pals, you need the necessary technology. Similar to Ark: Survival Evolved, Palworld utilizes Tech points to unlock new equipment, storage solutions, weapons, and workstations. While some basic tech is automatically unlocked, others require reaching certain levels, finding special schematics, or catching special Pals. 

There are quite a few pieces required to breed your own eggs, including the necessary ingredients to bake cakes. You will need to at least reach level 17 to unlock everything you require. You can collect Pals and resources, complete dungeons, and level up your base until you have enough technology points to unlock the following items:

• Breeding Farm
• Egg Incubator
• Cook pot
• Mill
• Wheat plantation

Surprisingly, the first item of tech you will probably be able to unlock is the egg incubator itself. The egg incubator is under the special purple column of "Ancient Technology", and it will require purple Ancient Tech points to unlock it. It becomes available at Level 7, and only requires one Ancient Tech, so it is low cost to get started with.

Breeding Pals requires cake to feed them, and baking cake requires flour. Flour is crafted by crushing wheat grown in wheat plantations in the mill. The wheat plantation and mill are both unlocked at level 15 and cost two tech points each. We've put together a handy guide on how to get wheat and flour in Palworld to further explain this tech.

Once you've acquired all the necessary cake ingredients, we'll need to be able to place them in the cooking pot. Cooking pots are unlocked at tech level 17 and require two tech points to unlock. 

The breeding farm is likely to be the last technology for breeding that you will unlock, and it becomes available at level 19. It also requires two tech points.

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How to use the breeding farm

Once you've successfully unlocked and built all the necessary tech and workstations across your base, you'll be ready to get your Pals down to business. The breeding farm is fairly straightforward. Add the two Pals you want to breed to your base's Palbox. Lift the pals one by one, and throw them at the farm to assign them to work. The farm requires one male and one female to work. 

And cake. They also need cake.

How to bake cakes for the breeding farm in Palworld

Thankfully, you don't need any extra recipes to unlock the ability to bake cakes in Palworld. The recipe is available for the cooking pot automatically once you unlock the breeding farm. It can also be made in the electric kitchen, but not the campfire. Cakes require the following ingredients:

• 5 flour
• 8 red berries
• 7 milk
• 8 egg
• 2 honey

Most players will have red berries aplenty, but if you are running short on them, you can grow large quantities using the Berry Plantation technology similar to the Wheat Plantation we covered earlier. Milk is harvested from Mozzarina pals assigned to the Ranch, though you can also purchase it from wandering merchants. 

Eggs can be farmed with Chikipis in the ranch or dropped from wild Chikipis. They also spawn randomly throughout the world. Honey can be a little harder to acquire, as it is only dropped by the Beegarde. If you have been lucky enough to capture a Beegarde, you can assign it to the ranch to produce honey for you. 

Once you've gathered the ingredients, you can select the cake recipe from the cooking pot menu. Cakes have a workload cost of 2000, so you're going to be working on one for a good little while. Enlisting the help of a pal with a high kindling level can help speed up the process.

Finished cakes are perishable, though they do have a 20-minute timer. Placing cakes in the cooling box or a fridge can slow the rate of ruin, and putting the cake in the breeding farm's box stops it entirely. There's also currently a glitch where the timers on perishable items can be reset by pressing the "sort" button in the inventory screen, but you didn't hear that from me.

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Palworld breeding pairs

The pal types that you assign to the breeding farm can be mixed and matched for various results, and doing so will even lead to hatching some epic Pals that can change the game dramatically for your guild. There are 138 pals at the time of writing this, leading to an insane number of combinations of parent crosses and resulting offspring. Some pals, like the legendary Jetragon, can not be produced with crossbreeding.

Some useful breeding pairs that can unlock rare pals early are in the table below:

Unfortunately, there are some differences between the Xbox and Steam versions of Palworld (among other differences) and that includes the results for certain breeding pairs. While I have found not every pairing results in the intended offspring, the results are correct more often than not. There's certainly room for improvement, however. For more breeding pair combinations, there is an excellent breeding calculator from Palworld.gg.

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How to use the egg incubator

You don't have to wait until you can breed Pals to hatch them from eggs. You may have found some sitting in nests around the Islands, especially if you're using a flying mount to explore. Those eggs can be taken back to your base and placed in an egg incubator to hatch. Hatching eggs counts toward the bonus XP you earn for catching pals and toward unlocking the Xbox or PC achievements for catching 90 pals. 

Whether your eggs have come from the Islands or the breeding farm, you're going to need to figure out how to hatch them.

Palworld eggs can be found in a standard size along with large or huge variants, and the outside of the egg depicts the type of Pal it will hatch. Yellow eggs with zigzagging black stripes will hatch electric-type pals, while dark purple eggs with pink swirls will hatch dark-type pals. Horizontal two-toned pink stripes denote the common egg type, which hatch neutral pals. Dark blue "damp" eggs have water-type pals inside, and "scorching" eggs will have fire types. Similarly, light blue "frozen" eggs with white snowflakes will hatch ice-types.

Clicking on an egg incubator opens a menu where you can place one egg at a time to incubate. All egg types and sizes will fit in the egg incubator, though large and huge eggs will have longer incubation periods. When an egg is placed in the incubator, it will display a status that is affected by the temperature around the egg incubator. The egg may be "very comfortable", "a little warm/cold", or "very warm/cold". 

The temperature of the egg while it is in the incubator can increase or decrease the speed at which the egg will hatch. Items like campfires, heaters, and coolers can be placed around the eggs and then kindled or cooled by Pals to improve hatching speeds. You may want to build incubators for cold and warm temperatures into separate buildings with their respective tech. 

If you are like me and tend to be on the impatient side, you can adjust your game's incubation period in the world settings. I like instant gratification, personally, and it does not negatively impact achievements. 

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Benefits of breeding pals

As I mentioned earlier, breeding your own pals can come with the benefit of giving you access to pals that might otherwise require being at a higher level or committing a criminal act to obtain. In other cases it can let you create some really crosses like the Suzaku Aqua or the legendary Frostallion Noct. There's another benefit to breeding, however, and that is passive skill selection. 

Passive skills are traits that can be attributed to pals that can improve their performance or worsen it in some cases. Skills like Workaholic can make a pal more useful at the base as its sanity drops slower, while Ferocious can give your pal a 20 percent boost in attack. Meanwhile, negative skills like Slacker can slow work speed and Pacifist can significantly lower attack.

Breeding allows you to more actively and carefully choose your pal's passive skills. Avoid breeding pals with negative traits and focus on creating ultimate pals with positive traits. Every single trait can be passed on except for the Alpha indicator which denotes a pal that was captured as a world mini-boss, so it's very possible to breed powerful legendaries and exceptionally skilled base pals. It just takes a whole lot of cake.