Pocketpair Head of Publishing Says Player Feedback, Not Media Criticism, Shaped Palworld 1.0

Pocketpair head of publishing and communications John Buckley says the studio’s decision to prioritize community feedback over media narratives was one of the biggest reasons behind Palworld 1.0’s successful launch.

Speaking during a session at CGDC during ChinaJoy 2026, Buckley reflected on the game’s journey from its record-breaking Early Access debut to its full release, emphasizing that player input ultimately shaped the game’s direction.

Pocketpair shifted its focus from headlines to players

After Palworld launched in Early Access, the game reached a peak of 2.1 million concurrent Steam players and sold 25 million copies, but Buckley recalled that attention quickly shifted to reports about declining player numbers.

“The game is dead,”

was a narrative the studio repeatedly encountered as concurrent players dropped. Buckley admitted the team initially struggled with the reaction, saying,

“We didn’t know what to do,”

while noting that maintaining launch-level player counts was

“impossible.”

Instead of chasing headlines, Pocketpair changed its approach.

“We had to stop thinking about the media,”

Buckley explained, adding that the studio focused on community feedback because

“a very strong community had started to form.”

That philosophy guided six major updates leading to version 1.0.

Palworld became one of Steam’s biggest hits before Pocketpair focused on long-term community support for version 1.0. (Image via Pocketpair)

Community-driven updates helped Palworld reach version 1.0

Buckley said the studio’s strategy centered on listening to existing players while encouraging former fans to return by showcasing how much the game had evolved. Pocketpair also worked with content creators who had previously covered the game and maintained daily social media updates featuring new Pals, locations, and gameplay.

Those efforts paid off when Palworld 1.0 launched on July 10, 2026, attracting 900,000 concurrent players and earning a 93.45% Steam user rating from more than 443,000 reviews.

Buckley concluded the session with advice for other developers, saying,

“Don’t worry about trends, what’s popular,”

encouraging studios to build the games they genuinely want to create. He also confirmed that Palworld was developed without generative AI and reiterated that Pocketpair draws inspiration from other games but is “not in the business” of copying designs or ideas.