Palworld Devs Reject 'Pokemon With Guns' Label

When you think of Palworld, the phrase "Pokemon with guns" likely comes to mind first. This label, coined by the internet during the game's initial surge in popularity, played a significant role in its rise due to the intriguing mix of two seemingly disparate concepts. Even we at IGN have used this phrase, as have many others, making it a convenient shorthand for newcomers to grasp the game's premise.

However, Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, John 'Bucky' Buckley, has expressed that the "Pokemon with guns" moniker was never the intended takeaway. In a talk at the Game Developers Conference, Buckley shared that Pocketpair isn't fond of this label. He recounted the game's reveal at the Indie Live Expo in Japan in June 2021, which received a positive response from the Japanese audience. Yet, Western media quickly branded it as a certain franchise (Pokemon) plus guns, a tag that has stuck despite efforts to distance the game from it.

In a follow-up interview, Buckley elaborated that Pokemon was not part of the original pitch for Palworld. Instead, the development team, composed of ARK: Survival Evolved fans, aimed to create something akin to ARK but with a heavier emphasis on automation and unique creature abilities. Their previous game, Craftopia, also drew inspiration from ARK. Buckley noted that while the "Pokemon with guns" label did contribute to Palworld's success, it misrepresents the game's actual gameplay. He hopes players will give the game a chance before forming opinions based solely on this catchy but misleading phrase.

Buckley also emphasized that he doesn't view Pokemon as a direct competitor to Palworld, citing minimal audience crossover and pointing to ARK as a more apt comparison. He dismisses the notion of competition in the gaming industry as largely manufactured and believes that games are more in competition with release timing than with each other. Despite this, he acknowledges that a significant portion of Palworld players also purchased Helldivers 2 upon its release.

If Buckley could choose a different viral tagline for Palworld, he suggests something like, "Palworld: It's Kind of Like ARK if ARK Met Factorio and Happy Tree Friends." He admits, however, that this doesn't have the same catchy appeal as "Pokemon with guns."

In our extended interview, Buckley and I discussed the potential of Palworld coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, the possibility of Pocketpair being acquired, and more. You can read the full discussion here.