Pocketpair has explained why some of the most ambitious Palworld fan requests are unlikely to arrive through future updates. According to John “Bucky” Buckley, the developer’s head of publishing and communications, seemingly simple additions such as terrain digging would require fundamental changes to the game’s world and systems.
Speaking with Gaming World Interviews, Buckley directly addressed requests for players to be able to dig into Palworld’s terrain. He joked that such a feature would effectively amount to creating a sequel, saying,
“What you’re talking about is Palworld 2.”
He further explained that the problem extends far beyond changing the game’s engine.
Terrain Digging Would Require Major Changes to Palworld
Buckley explained during the Gaming World interview that terrain digging would involve extensive changes to Palworld’s environments and pathfinding systems.
“These things aren’t possible. You’re talking about landscape reworks, and, my God, the pathfinding rework would be years of development,”
he said.
Rather than being a feature that Pocketpair could simply add through an ordinary content update, dynamic terrain would affect how the existing world functions. Buckley therefore urged players to stop requesting the mechanic, bluntly stating,
“Please don’t ask for terrain digging. It’s not happening.”
The same development problem applies to other large-scale requests. Buckley pointed to underwater environments and even space-based content as examples of ideas that would require substantial work because Palworld is built around a large open world with interconnected systems.
Pocketpair Wants to Avoid Years Between Major Updates
Buckley acknowledged that players may not always realize how complicated seemingly straightforward features can become during development. A request that sounds like a relatively small gameplay addition can instead require changes to multiple systems, potentially delaying other content for years.
“You’re talking about years of development,”
Buckley said while discussing larger environmental expansions. He questioned whether players would actually want to wait several years for one major feature instead of receiving more manageable updates during that time.
This approach also fits Pocketpair’s current plans for Palworld. The studio has continued expanding the game while being selective about the scope of individual updates, with Buckley recently describing the upcoming 1.1 update as containing a significant feature requested by fans without turning it into an enormous expansion.
| Platforms | Microsoft Windows |
|---|---|
| Developer | Pocketpair |
