Pocketpair’s John Buckley Says Palworld Will Let New Content Determine Its Update Format Instead of Following a Fixed Schedule

Pocketpair is taking a flexible approach to Palworld’s future updates rather than committing to a fixed seasonal schedule or predetermined monetization strategy. John “Bucky” Buckley, the studio’s Head of Publishing and Communications, explained that the developer wants new content to dictate how it reaches players instead of following conventions established by other live-service games.

In an interview with MP1st, Buckley said,

“We want the content itself to determine the format, rather than the other way around.”

This means Pocketpair could release smaller updates when appropriate while considering larger additions when an idea warrants a more substantial release.

POCKETPAIR PRIORITIZES MEANINGFUL UPDATES OVER A FIXED SCHEDULE

Buckley clarified that Pocketpair does not consider Palworld a traditional live-service game. Rather than committing to regular seasonal content drops, the studio intends to decide what it wants to create before determining the best way to deliver it.

The approach also reflects Pocketpair’s desire to avoid expanding the game simply to increase its size. Although Palworld’s Version 1.0 release brought renewed attention to the survival game, Buckley emphasized that future additions should give players something fun, surprising, and memorable.

The studio has also offered an early indication of what players can expect from Update 1.1. Buckley described the upcoming update as not particularly large but said he believes players will be pleased with it. However, Pocketpair was not ready to reveal its features during the interview.

FREE UPDATES, POTENTIAL EXPANSIONS, AND PALWORLD’S FUTURE

Pocketpair remains comfortable supporting Palworld through free updates, although Buckley has not ruled out a larger paid expansion in the distant future. He stressed that the studio has no specific expansion plans to announce and is not actively developing one at present.

The developer is also exploring standalone games based on the Palworld franchise. Buckley pointed to Palworld: Palfarm as an example of an experience that benefits from having its own gameplay systems and identity rather than becoming a mode within the original game.

Meanwhile, Pocketpair wants to preserve Palworld’s varied playstyles. Buckley explained that future development must provide meaningful endgame challenges for dedicated players without compromising the freedom to build, explore, collect Pals, or simply enjoy the world.

For Pocketpair, the priority is not following a predetermined release model. It is choosing the format that best serves each new idea while continuing to support the main game.