Palworld Developers Reject 'Pokemon With Guns' Label

When you think of Palworld, the immediate association for many is "Pokemon with guns," a phrase that became synonymous with the game upon its surge in popularity. This catchy but reductive label, widely used across the internet and even by us at IGN, helped catapult Palworld into the spotlight. However, according to John 'Bucky' Buckley, Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, this was never the intended takeaway. In a talk at the Game Developers Conference and a subsequent interview, Buckley expressed that Pocketpair doesn't particularly love this moniker.

Palworld was first introduced to the world in June 2021 at the Indie Live Expo in Japan, where it received a warm reception. However, as Western media caught wind of the game, it was quickly branded as a mix of a "certain franchise" and guns, a label that has stuck despite efforts to shake it off.

In our interview, Buckley clarified that Pokemon was not part of the initial pitch for Palworld. The development team, while fans of Pokemon, aimed to create something more akin to ARK: Survival Evolved. They wanted to build on the automation elements and unique creature abilities found in ARK and their previous game, Craftopia. The goal was to make each creature in Palworld feel special and distinct.

Buckley acknowledged that the "Pokemon with guns" label did contribute to Palworld's success. The attention it garnered, including actions like New Blood Interactive's Dave Oshry trademarking "Pokemonwithguns.com," fueled its rise. However, Buckley emphasized that the label misrepresents the game's actual gameplay. He encouraged players to give Palworld a chance before categorizing it, noting that the game's audience doesn't significantly overlap with Pokemon's.

Interestingly, Buckley doesn't see Palworld as directly competing with other games, including Pokemon or even Helldivers 2, which many Palworld players also purchased. He views the notion of competition in gaming as somewhat manufactured, suggesting that the real challenge is timing releases amidst a crowded market.

If Buckley could choose a different tagline for Palworld, he humorously suggested, "Palworld: It's Kind of Like ARK if ARK Met Factorio and Happy Tree Friends." While not as catchy, it better reflects the game's unique blend of survival, automation, and creature interaction.

In our broader discussion, Buckley also touched on the potential for Palworld on the Nintendo Switch 2 and the company's stance on acquisition, details of which you can find in our full interview.