While Palworld's staggering commercial success could potentially elevate developer Pocketpair's next project to "beyond AAA" status, CEO Takuro Mizobe has clarified the studio is charting a different course. Discover the reasoning behind this strategic decision.
Palworld Earnings Could Fund AAA-Defying Projects (But Won't)
Pocketpair Commits to Indie Roots and Community Support
The breakout success of creature-collecting survival game Palworld has generated remarkable profits for Pocketpair - enough to theoretically fund development surpassing traditional AAA standards. Yet CEO Takuro Mizobe reaffirms the studio's deliberate avoidance of this path.
Speaking with GameSpark, Mizobe revealed Palworld's revenue reaches "tens of billions of yen" (approximately $68.5 million USD). Despite these resources, he maintains Pocketpair lacks the infrastructure to responsibly manage projects at such scale.
The CEO noted Palworld was financed through earnings from previous titles Craftopia and Overdungeon. While currently holding blockbuster-level funding, Mizobe believes expanding beyond current capabilities would prove premature for the studio's developmental stage.
"Using these profits for our next project, as we've done historically, wouldn't just exceed AAA scale - it would overwhelm our operational capacity," Mizobe explained. "We're structurally unprepared for that magnitude."
Instead, Pocketpair will focus on creating compelling indie-style experiences. Mizobe observes that modern game engines and market conditions allow smaller teams to achieve global success more effectively than attempting to compete in the increasingly challenging AAA space.
Palworld Franchise Expansion Planned Across Media
Earlier statements from Mizobe confirmed Pocketpair will avoid conventional growth measures like team expansion or office upgrades. Instead, resources will support broadening the Palworld universe through multimedia ventures.
Still in early access, Palworld continues receiving substantial updates including the PvP arena mode and Sakurajima island expansion. The newly formed Palworld Entertainment partnership with Sony will manage global licensing and merchandise operations beyond the core game experience.
