Pocketpair Lead Says the Studio Chooses Standalone Palworld Spinoffs Over a Fortnite-Style Platform to Give Each Game Its Own Identity

Pocketpair is expanding the Palworld franchise with games built around different genres instead of bringing every new experience into a single platform. The developer’s approach differs from Fortnite, which has expanded beyond battle royale through experiences built around other games, brands, and gameplay styles.

The decision is particularly interesting as Pocketpair prepares to take its popular creature-collecting survival franchise in new directions. One example is Palworld: Palfarm, a farming simulation designed to offer a different experience from the original game. Rather than adding farming as another mode, Pocketpair believes the concept deserves a standalone release.

In an exclusive interview with MP1st, John “Bucky” Buckley, Pocketpair’s Head of Publishing and Communications, discussed the studio’s plans for expanding the franchise and explained why separate games make sense for some ideas.

POCKETPAIR WANTS EACH PALWORLD SPINOFF TO HAVE ITS OWN IDENTITY

Buckley acknowledged that fans might expect Pocketpair to follow Fortnite’s approach by bringing multiple experiences together within one platform. However, he said the studio prefers to develop games according to the needs of each concept.

“We just want to make fun games in our own way,”

Buckley told MP1st. He explained that commercial success remains important, but it does not dictate the studio’s creative direction.

For Pocketpair, the main consideration is whether an idea would work better as an independent game. Buckley said standalone projects allow the developers to tailor gameplay systems, pacing, and the player experience to the concept instead of adapting everything to the existing survival game’s structure.

He pointed to Palworld: Palfarm as an example. Developing the farming experience separately gives the team more freedom to establish its own identity and build mechanics around the genre. The approach also allows Pocketpair to explore new styles of gameplay without fundamentally changing the original Palworld experience.

PALFARM AND PAL♡WORLD EXPAND THE FRANCHISE INTO NEW GENRES

Pocketpair’s plans extend beyond farming. The studio has also announced Pal♡world! ~More Than Just Pals~, a dating simulation set at a school where players can develop relationships with Pals. The project explores a radically different genre from the original survival game, demonstrating the range of experiences the franchise can accommodate. Pocketpair’s official announcement provides further details.

Buckley also clarified that Pocketpair does not consider Fortnite’s approach wrong. He explained that different franchises benefit from different strategies, and the studio believes standalone releases are the right fit for these particular Palworld projects.

Importantly, the spinoffs are not intended to replace the main game. Buckley said the original Palworld remains extremely important to Pocketpair, describing the additional titles as new ways for players to experience its world and characters.

The strategy gives Pocketpair opportunities to explore farming, relationship-building, and potentially other genres while allowing the main game to retain its survival and crafting focus. Whether players ultimately prefer separate releases or a unified platform remains an open question, but Pocketpair has made its current direction clear: each spinoff should be designed around its own gameplay rather than forced into the existing game.