History of Palworld in Timeline

Palworld is a multiplayer, open-world survival and monster-taming game developed and published by Pocketpair. Players explore a world populated by creatures called "Pals," which can be captured, battled, and used for base building, traversal, and automation of tasks at player bases. Supporting both solo and up to 32-player online gameplay, Palworld launched in early access for Windows and Xbox platforms in January 2024, followed by a PlayStation 5 release in September 2024.

October 2020: Initial Rejection of Main Character Designer

In October 2020, the main character designer for the Pals was initially rejected during a recruitment drive for illustrators.

February 2021: Hiring of Main Character Designer

In February 2021, the main character designer for the Pals was hired after reapplying to Pocketpair.

June 5, 2021: Palworld Game Reveal

On June 5, 2021, Palworld was revealed, detailing key features such as survival, crafting, exploration, exploitation of creatures, and the multiplayer focus.

2021: Palworld Announcement

In 2021, Palworld was announced, marking the beginning of the game's public presence.

2021: Hiring of Graduate Student as Character Designer

In 2021, the CEO of Pocketpair stated that the character concepts were mostly designed by a single graduate student hired in 2021 following the company's public recruitment run for new illustrators.

2022: Initial Planned Release Year

Palworld was initially planned for release in 2022.

August 2023: Release Deadline Extended

In August 2023, the release deadline for Palworld was extended as the scope of the project grew and the company hired more staff.

January 2024: Early Access Launch for Multiple Platforms

In January 2024, Palworld launched through early access for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Microsoft Xbox One Special Edition inMatte Blackin 500GB (video game)(Renewed)

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January 2024: Early Access Launch Window Revealed

In January 2024, Pocketpair revealed an early access launch window for Palworld.

January 2024: Copyright Allegations and Controversy

In January 2024, shortly after release, allegations arose on Twitter regarding similarities between Pal designs and Pokémon, leading to claims of plagiarism of game assets and copyright infringement investigations. The Pokémon Company issued a statement related to the controversy. Pocketpair's CEO reported receiving death threats from users on Twitter.

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January 19, 2024: Early Access Release on Multiple Platforms

On January 19, 2024, Palworld was released through Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Preview, also available with Game Pass from day one.

January 24, 2024: Reaching 2 Million Concurrent Players on Steam

On January 24, 2024, Palworld reached over 2,000,000 concurrent players on Steam, becoming the first game since PUBG: Battlegrounds to achieve this feat.

February 22, 2024: Sales and Playerbase Milestones Reached

By February 22, 2024, Palworld had sold over 15 million units and attracted a global audience of more than 32 million players.

June 10, 2024: macOS Early Access Announcement

On June 10, 2024, it was announced that Palworld would be released in early access for macOS later that year.

June 24, 2024: Tease of PlayStation 5 Release

On June 24, 2024, it was teased that Palworld would be released on PlayStation 5.

PlayStation®5 Digital Edition (slim)

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June 27, 2024: First Major Expansion Announcement

On June 27, 2024, Pocketpair announced the first major expansion for Palworld, which includes new Pals, a new island called Sakurajima, and other new content.

September 2024: PlayStation 5 Launch

In September 2024, Palworld was released for the PlayStation 5.

PlayStation®5 Digital Edition (slim)

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September 19, 2024: Nintendo and The Pokémon Company File Lawsuit

On September 19, 2024, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed a lawsuit against Pocketpair for infringement of patent rights. Pocketpair responded to the lawsuit the same day, expressing disappointment.

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