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Palworld’s John “Bucky” Buckley Says Steam Next Fest Is “Still Worth Taking” Despite AI Slop, Explains Why Indie Developers Shouldn’t Give Up
Palworld publishing and communications lead John “Bucky” Buckley believes indie developers should not abandon Steam Next Fest despite concerns about AI-generated games flooding the platform. In a post on X published on October 20, 2026, Buckley argued that struggling to attract players is not a new problem for smaller studios, even as concerns about low-quality AI-generated releases continue to grow. Buckley acknowledged that AI slop can make discovering worthwhile games more difficult. However, he argued that developers should not blame…
Palworld Dev Says Pocketpair Uses Player Data and Feedback to Balance New Pals as Its 280+ Creature Roster Grows
Pocketpair is prioritizing memorable creature designs and meaningful gameplay roles over simply increasing the number of creatures in Palworld. With more than 280 Pals currently available, the developer says it relies on player data and community feedback to help balance the growing roster as new creatures arrive in major updates. In an exclusive interview with MP1st, John “Bucky” Buckley, Pocketpair’s Head of Publishing and Communications, discussed how the studio keeps its creature collection fresh without adding Pals solely to meet…
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.…
Palworld Among Games With Increased PC Cafe Playtime in South Korea as Total Gaming Hours Rise 5.8%
Palworld recorded an increase in PC cafe playtime in South Korea during the second week of October 2026, according to weekly gaming statistics published by THE LOG. The creature-collecting survival game was among several titles that attracted more playtime between October 5 and 11, although the report did not specify its exact growth percentage or ranking change. According to THE LOG’s PC cafe statistics, total PC cafe playtime across South Korea reached approximately 15.84 million hours during the tracking period.…
Palworld Lead Explains Why He Considers Palfarm the Only “True Spin-Off” Among Pocketpair’s Upcoming Pal Games, Calls More Than Just Pals a “Little Goofy Thing”
Pocketpair is expanding the Palworld franchise beyond its survival game roots, but the studio does not consider every upcoming project featuring its Pals to be a traditional spin-off. John “Bucky” Buckley, head of communications and publishing at Pocketpair, has clarified that Palfarm is the only upcoming project he considers a true Palworld spin-off. The clarification came through the official Palworld Discord server as fans discussed the franchise’s growing lineup. Pocketpair is currently working on Palfarm, the dating sim More Than…
Palworld’s Pals Feel So Familiar Because They Use a Classic Anime Creature-Design Formula Built Around Silhouettes, Expressions, Elements, and Personality
Palworld may combine monster collecting with survival crafting, base building, automation, and combat, but its Pals immediately communicate information through their appearance. Their silhouettes, colors, expressions, elemental themes, and animal-inspired features help players understand what kind of creature they are looking at before learning their statistics or abilities. That approach is familiar to fans of Japanese creature-collection franchises such as Pokémon and Digimon. However, Palworld adds another layer because its creatures are not designed exclusively around battles. Pals can fight…