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First a survival game. Now a card game. Is an anime next for Palworld?
Palworld, the multiplayer survival game likened to "Pokémon with guns," has become one of the most successful titles of the past decade, having drawn over 40 million players since its 2024 debut and now selling over 3.5 million pre-order packs for its new collectible card game. With Pocketpair's franchise expanding beyond video games, speculation is growing over whether an anime adaptation could be next, mirroring the rapid multimedia growth Pokémon experienced after its 1996 launch.
Pocketpair has stated it has "no official plans" for a Palworld anime, but the company has held a partnership with Sony's Aniplex, a major anime studio, since 2024, and already produces short animated YouTube videos called "PalAnime." The game itself has had a turbulent journey, switching development engines from Unity to Unreal Engine 5, selling 2 million copies within 24 hours of its early access launch, and facing scrutiny over design similarities to Pokémon, before recently reaching its full 1.0 release after two years in early access.
In short
- Palworld has drawn 40 million-plus players and a hit card game
- Pocketpair has an Aniplex partnership but denies concrete anime plans
- Game just reached 1.0 after two years in early access
Explained simply
Palworld is a multiplayer survival game released in 2024 by Japanese studio Pocketpair. Described as "Pokémon with guns" for its blend of creature-collecting gameplay and combat mechanics, the game has become one of the most successful titles in recent years, attracting over 40 million players.
The success has prompted Pocketpair to expand the franchise beyond video games, recently launching a collectible card game that has already received over 3.5 million pre-orders. Multimedia expansion into merchandise, games and animated content is a common strategy for successful gaming franchises, particularly evident in how Pokémon became a global phenomenon after its 1996 debut.
Pocketpair established a partnership with Sony's Aniplex, a major anime production studio, in 2024 and already produces short animated videos for YouTube called "PalAnime." These moves position the company with the resources and relationships needed should it pursue a full anime series, though Pocketpair has stated there are currently no official plans for such a project.