Palworld Developers Reject 'Pokemon With Guns' Label

When you think of Palworld, the immediate association for many is "Pokemon with guns," a catchy but reductive label that surged with the game's initial popularity. This shorthand, used widely across the internet and even by outlets like IGN, helped catapult Palworld into the spotlight by combining the familiar concept of Pokemon with the unexpected twist of firearms. However, Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, John 'Bucky' Buckley, has expressed that this was never the intended focus for the game. Speaking at the Game Developers Conference, Buckley noted that the "Pokemon with guns" moniker has stuck with Palworld since its reveal at the Indie Live Expo in Japan in 2021, despite efforts to move away from it.

In a subsequent interview, Buckley clarified that the inspiration for Palworld was more aligned with ARK: Survival Evolved than Pokemon. He mentioned that the development team, fans of ARK and their previous game Craftopia, aimed to expand on ARK's concepts by emphasizing automation and giving each creature unique personalities and abilities. The initial trailer led to the "Pokemon with guns" label, which Buckley admitted was not ideal but acknowledged its role in boosting the game's visibility.

Buckley conceded that the label did contribute to Palworld's success, even noting humorous incidents like Dave Oshry from New Blood Interactive trademarking "Pokemonwithguns.com." However, he emphasized that the game's true nature is far from this simplistic description and encouraged players to experience it firsthand before forming opinions.

Interestingly, Buckley does not see Pokemon as a direct competitor to Palworld, citing minimal audience crossover and pointing to ARK as a closer parallel. He also dismissed the notion of significant competition within the gaming industry, suggesting that the real challenge lies in timing releases rather than competing with specific titles.

If Buckley could choose a different viral tagline for Palworld, he humorously suggested, "Palworld: It's Kind of Like ARK if ARK Met Factorio and Happy Tree Friends," acknowledging that it doesn't quite have the same catchy appeal as "Pokemon with guns."

In our extended interview, Buckley and I also discussed the potential of Palworld coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, the possibility of Pocketpair being acquired, and other topics, which you can read about in full detail here.