Palworld

An open-world survival RPG where you catch Pals, arm them with assault rifles, and build automated bases to extract resources.

Last reviewed: May 3, 2026

Released Jan 2024 Singleplayer / 3D / Multiplayer

Holds up in solo or co-op despite the 99% playerbase crash from 2M peak to 25k — Pokémon-with-guns hook earns its $30.

7.1 /10

Fair

Previously an Editor's pick

For you if

You wanted Pokémon's creature-collecting plus survival/base-building and guns
You play with up to 32 friends on dedicated servers and want shared progression
You're OK with Early Access bugs and ongoing rebalances toward the 1.0 update

Not for you if

You play official servers and need stable matchmaking — peak crowds are gone
You only want polished AAA — Palworld is rough around the edges
You boycott games tangled in major IP disputes (Nintendo's three-patent lawsuit is unresolved)

What players love

Pal capture and base building loop is the engaging core that drives hundreds of hours of gameplay.

See the reviews behind this →

What critics say

8/10IGN
Palworld may crib quite a bit from Pokémon's homework, but deep survival mechanics and a hilarious attitude make it hard to put down.
Travis NorthupJan 2024 Read review →
GamesRadar+
The mishmash of brutal, amoral survivalism and innocent saturday morning cartoons is something that never stops being ghoulishly fascinating.
Joel FraneyJan 2024 Read review →
Destructoid
Pocketpair has managed to both deliver on its surreal vision, and still create something that feels like more than just a novel 'what-if' mash-up of ideas.
Eric Van AllenJan 2024 Read review →

Before You Play

Refreshed monthly

Is Palworld still active in 2026?

Yes, but barely compared to launch. Palworld peaks around 25,000-30,000 daily concurrent Steam players in May 2026, down ~99% from the 2,101,867 peak in January 2024. The Tides of Terraria crossover (June 2025) and Feybreak (December 2024) updates each spiked counts temporarily but didn't reverse the long decline. Console (PS5 + Xbox/Game Pass) playerbase isn't reflected, so the global figure is somewhat higher.

Source: Steam Charts: Palworld

What is the status of the Nintendo patent lawsuit against Palworld?

The Pokémon Company and Nintendo filed three patent claims against developer Pocketpair on September 19, 2024, in Tokyo District Court — covering creature-capture and character-riding mechanics. The case is still in pre-trial proceedings as of January 2026, with no verdict scheduled. Pocketpair has already changed gameplay (gliding via gliders instead of Pals) in response. A US patent examiner separately rejected all 26 claims in Nintendo's summoning patent as 'obvious' in 2025.

Source: PC Gamer: Nintendo Palworld lawsuit

Who are the best base-work pals in Palworld for endgame?

For endgame bases, Anubis is the gold-standard work pal thanks to his variety of high-tier work skills — he scales to max via condensing. Jormuntide Ignis hits Kindling Level 4 (max) at base, making him the best smelter. Orserk is the meta pick for electricity generation. Use a zoned base layout (Production / Farming / Defense / Breeding) and rush these three Pals once you unlock Sakurajima for oil.

Source: Game8: Best base pals

What major content updates has Palworld received toward 1.0?

Palworld is leaving Early Access in 2026 with the World Tree update as version 1.0 (Pocketpair confirmed in September 2025). Major updates so far: Sakurajima (2024) added a Japanese-themed island and Oil Rig PvP raids, Feybreak (December 2024) raised the level cap to 60 and shipped an island six times bigger than Sakurajima, and Tides of Terraria (June 2025) brought 2D Terraria bosses into 3D for a crossover event.

Source: VGC: Palworld 1.0 update

How do you play Palworld co-op with friends?

You can play Palworld with up to 4 friends on official invite-code worlds, or up to 32 players on a self-hosted dedicated server (Pocketpair ships a server tool with the Steam version). Invite codes live in the in-game options menu — click the eye icon to reveal yours. Crossplay only exists between Xbox Series X/S and PC Game Pass; Steam and PlayStation populations are separate. Default server port is 8211 for port-forwarding.

Source: PC Gamer: Palworld multiplayer guide