Last summer, Palworld's developer, Pocketpair, signed a deal with Sony Music Entertainment to expand the Palworld universe beyond gaming through merchandise, music, and other products. This business agreement led some fans to mistakenly believe it signaled an upcoming acquisition, especially following rumors earlier in the year that Pocketpair was in discussions with Microsoft for a potential buyout.
Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe later debunked the acquisition rumors, but the speculation persisted, fueled by Microsoft's aggressive acquisition strategy within the gaming industry and reports of their interest in Japanese developers, as well as Sony's own acquisitions in response.
As for the possibility of Pocketpair being acquired, the decision ultimately rests with Mizobe. At the Game Developers Conference last month, communications director and publishing manager John 'Bucky' Buckley expressed strong skepticism about the likelihood of such an event. He emphasized, "Our CEO would never allow it. He'd never allow it. He'd never allow it. He would never, never allow it. He likes doing his own thing and he likes being his own boss. He doesn't like people telling him what to do."
Buckley's remarks were clear and firm, and he continued by saying, "So I would be shocked. Maybe when he's old, and he might just sell it off for money. And that would be sad, but in my lifetime, I probably won't see it. No, it'll be interesting to see where the two paths go. We, Pocketpair, are obviously only involved in where the game path is going. Palworld as an IP, we are involved, but it’s very much in the hands of Aniplex and Sony Music who are steering that ship right now. We are just offering our advice and thoughts as they take that."
Buckley and I also spoke about the potential for Palworld to come to the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio's response to the game being labeled "Pokemon with guns," and more. You can delve into the full discussion right here.
