Palworld Developers Reject 'Pokemon With Guns' Label

When you think of Palworld, the immediate association might be "Pokemon with guns," a phrase that has become synonymous with the game since its surge in popularity. This catchy moniker, while not intended by its creators, has undeniably contributed to Palworld's rise to fame. Even we at IGN have used this description, as it's a quick and easy way for newcomers to grasp the game's concept.

However, according to Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, John 'Bucky' Buckley, this label was never the intended takeaway. Speaking at the Game Developers Conference, Buckley expressed that Pocketpair does not particularly love the "Pokemon with guns" moniker. He noted that the game was first revealed in June 2021 at the Indie Live Expo in Japan, where it received a warm reception. But soon after, Western media branded it as a certain franchise plus guns, a label that has persisted despite their efforts to distance themselves from it.

In an interview following his talk, Buckley elaborated that Pokemon was never part of the initial pitch for Palworld. While the development team includes fans of Pokemon, their goal was to create a game more akin to ARK: Survival Evolved. Buckley mentioned their previous game, Craftopia, and how it drew inspiration from ARK. The vision for Palworld was to expand on ARK's concepts, emphasizing automation and giving each creature a distinct personality and abilities.

Buckley acknowledged that the "Pokemon with guns" label did help boost Palworld's success. He cited an instance where Dave Oshry from New Blood Interactive trademarked "Pokemonwithguns.com," which further fueled the game's notoriety. While Buckley accepts the label's role in attracting attention, he finds it frustrating when people assume it accurately represents the gameplay without trying it themselves.

Interestingly, Buckley does not view Pokemon as a direct competitor to Palworld, citing minimal audience crossover and drawing a closer parallel to ARK. He also dismissed the notion of competition between games, suggesting that the "console wars" are more about meta-marketing than genuine rivalry. He believes that the timing of game releases is a more significant factor than competition with other titles, even mentioning that a significant portion of Palworld players also bought Helldivers 2 upon its release.

If Buckley could choose a different tagline for Palworld, he humorously suggested, "Palworld: It's Kind of Like ARK if ARK Met Factorio and Happy Tree Friends." While not as catchy as "Pokemon with guns," it better reflects the game's unique blend of survival, automation, and creature-centric gameplay.

In our full interview, Buckley and I also discussed the potential for Palworld on the Nintendo Switch 2, the possibility of Pocketpair being acquired, and more. You can read the complete discussion for further insights into the world of Palworld.