Palworld Devs Reject 'Pokemon With Guns' Label

When you think of Palworld, the immediate association for many is "Pokemon with guns." This phrase, which circulated widely on the internet when the game first surged in popularity, likely played a significant role in its rise due to the intriguing blend of contrasting concepts. Even we at IGN have used this phrase, as have many others, because it succinctly captures the essence of the game for those unfamiliar with it.

However, according to Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, John 'Bucky' Buckley, the label "Pokemon with guns" was never the intended takeaway. In fact, Buckley revealed at the Game Developers Conference that Pocketpair doesn't particularly love this moniker. He recounted the game's initial reveal at the Indie Live Expo in Japan in June 2021, where it received a warm reception. However, the Western media quickly branded it as a mix of a "certain franchise" and guns, a label that has persisted despite efforts to move away from it.

In a subsequent interview, Buckley elaborated that Pokemon was never part of the original pitch. While the development team includes Pokemon fans who recognized the similarities, their true inspiration was ARK: Survival Evolved. "A lot of us are huge ARK people, and our previous game, Craftopia, kind of has some stuff in it that we really loved from ARK and some ideas from ARK," Buckley explained. The goal was to expand on ARK's concept, emphasizing automation and unique creature personalities and abilities. The "Pokemon with guns" label, though not welcomed, undeniably contributed to Palworld's success. Buckley acknowledged this, mentioning that Dave Oshry from New Blood Interactive even trademarked "Pokemonwithguns.com."

Despite the label's impact, Buckley emphasized that Palworld isn't truly like Pokemon in gameplay. He encourages players to experience the game before forming judgments. Moreover, he doesn't see Pokemon as a direct competitor, citing more overlap with ARK. Buckley also dismissed the notion of competition in the gaming industry, describing it as "manufactured" and pointing out the vast number of games available. He believes that timing of releases is more critical than competition with specific titles, even mentioning that a significant portion of Palworld players also bought Helldivers 2.

If Buckley could choose a different viral tagline, he suggested, "Palworld: It's Kind of Like ARK if ARK Met Factorio and Happy Tree Friends." Although he admits it doesn't roll off the tongue as easily as "Pokemon with guns."

Buckley and I also discussed the potential for Palworld on the Nintendo Switch 2, the possibility of Pocketpair being acquired, and more in our interview, which you can read in full here.