When is the Palworld release date? The monster-taming genre might have been popularized on Nintendo handhelds and retro home consoles, but it’s enjoyed growing popularity on PC in recent years thanks to the likes of Temtem, Coromon, and Cassette Beasts. Palworld is the latest addition to this beloved niche, and it might be the strangest one yet.
Palworld is, in short, Pokémon with guns. Sure, you can be the very best, like no one ever was – but in this iteration of the creature collector, you can enforce that title with an assault rifle. If that sounds bizarre, wait until you see the assembly lines. If you’re ready to get stuck into an RPG that embraces surrealism and satire with all the staple hallmarks of quintessential Pokémon PC games, then be sure to mark the Palworld release date on your calendar.
Palworld release date window
Palworld is due to be released into early access in January 2024. This release date window is confirmed by developer Pocketpair in the Summer Games Fest trailer released in June 2023, and also on its official Steam page.
Pocketpair has promised several additions to the open-world game during its early access period, including new monsters, locations, and dungeons. The studio championed community feedback in its early access announcement, stating that it’s the best way to fine-tune Palworld’s balancing and ensure it’s “the best it can be.”
Palworld is due to release on PC via Steam, as well as on Xbox Series X|S. Be sure to check out our dedicated guide to Palworld on Game Pass for all the latest news concerning the Xbox console exclusive coming to the subscription-driven platform.
Palworld trailers
Palworld was first unveiled in an official trailer back in June 2021. It immediately took the internet by storm thanks to its abrupt transitions between run-of-the-mill creature collection and surreal glimpses of Palworld’s plucky protagonist gunning down monsters – otherwise known as Pals – and forcing them into assembly line weapons manufacturing. The following second and third official trailers adhere to the same formula, depicting Pals strapped to gurneys in dungeons, wielding machine guns, and straight up eating each other.
Palworld’s Tokyo Game Show 2022 trailer reveals the Palworld arena, where we can go head-to-head with other player-owned Pals. It also features a few instances where we can utilize Pals in combat, either stuffing them into the barrel of a missile launcher as makeshift ammo or just putting a gun in their tiny paws and letting them lay down some firepower right alongside you. On a less destructive note, we’re also afforded a brief look at some of the locations we can expect to traverse, from an arctic lake to an active volcano.
Palworld’s transition from cult to mainstream viewership was largely thanks to the release date announcement trailer that appeared during Summer Games Fest 2023. Aside from the Palworld early access release date, it also gives us a glimpse of just how elaborate Palworld’s farming systems can get, as a rural farmstead populated by cooking pots, tesla coils, and furnaces is maintained exclusively by a gaggle of obedient Pals.
Palworld gameplay
As genre-busting as Palworld promises to be, its core gameplay is still the same creature collection we expect in games like Pokémon. Palword’s open world is populated by many varieties of free-roaming Pals, which you can catch within specially designed spheres.
Developer Pocketpair has been slowly drip-feeding the entire Paldeck – Palworld’s equivalent to a Pokédex – in an official YouTube playlist, which consists of over 100 monsters. These Pals can help you traverse the environment and defend you from threats. Palworld even boasts a robust genetics system to facilitate breeding between Pals, to create rare and powerful variations.
Naturally, you can pit Pals against each other to make your own even stronger. However, Palworld bucks the trend of pacifistic creature collectors that channel their cartoon violence through the creatures in question. Instead, you have a variety of weapons at your disposal to survive in Palworld’s ecosystem, from your own two fists to a comically large rocket launcher. If you’ve ever wanted to wield an assault rifle against a Team Rocket equivalent, now’s your chance.
On that note, it appears that organized crime is as alive and well in Palworld as it is in the Pokémon universe. The local poaching syndicate has some serious firepower at its disposal, from assault rifles to platoons of tanks, and they appear to experiment on Pals for their nefarious purposes. Presumably, it’s up to us to put a stop to them, no matter how questionable our methods of raising Pals may be.
Palworld also incorporates mechanics from survival games and crafting games to help you survive the harsh environments. Thankfully, you can put your feet up and let your Pals do all the hard work, whether that’s farming, mining, or construction. However, both you and your Pals require sustenance to stay alive, and you might be forced to make hard choices – like letting your monsters work themselves to death, or even turning them into your next meal.
Palworld also comes with an online multiplayer game option, so you can bring an actual, real-life pal along on your adventure following the Palworld release date. While Palworld is not an MMO, Pocketpair has confirmed that it’s possible to play multiplayer with up to 32 people thanks to its dedicated servers – though it’s certainly possible to play offline in single-player mode as well. There’s even a PvP mode on the cards, though it’s due to release sometime after launch.
Now that you’re all set for the Palworld release date, be sure to check out the latest Palworld system requirements to prepare for your adventure. We’ve also got some of the best indie games to keep you off the beaten path for a little while longer. Alternatively, take the top free PC games for a spin to pass the time without spending a cent.