Palworld Devs Reject 'Pokemon With Guns' Label

When you think of Palworld, the phrase "Pokemon with guns" likely springs to mind. This label became synonymous with the game shortly after its debut, propelling it to viral fame due to the unusual juxtaposition of two disparate concepts. Even we at IGN have used this description, as have many others, because it succinctly conveys the game's premise to newcomers.

However, according to John 'Bucky' Buckley, Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, the "Pokemon with guns" moniker was never intended to define Palworld. In a talk at the Game Developers Conference, Buckley expressed that the team doesn't particularly love this label. He recounted how Palworld was first revealed to the public in June 2021 at the Indie Live Expo in Japan, where it received a warm reception. But as soon as Western media caught wind of it, the game was quickly branded as a certain franchise combined with firearms—a tag that has persisted despite efforts to move past it.

In a subsequent interview, Buckley elaborated that Pokemon was never part of the initial pitch for Palworld. While the development team includes fans of the Pokemon series and recognized the similarities in monster collection, their true inspiration was ARK: Survival Evolved. Buckley explained that many team members are avid ARK players, and their previous game, Craftopia, incorporated elements they admired from ARK. The goal for Palworld was to expand on this concept, emphasizing automation and giving each creature unique personalities and abilities. However, after showcasing the first trailer, the "Pokemon with guns" label emerged, which the team wasn't thrilled about but accepted as part of the game's journey.

Buckley acknowledged that this label did contribute to Palworld's success. He noted that Dave Oshry from New Blood Interactive even trademarked "Pokemonwithguns.com," which further fueled the game's popularity. Yet, he expressed some frustration that some people still believe the game is exactly like the label suggests without trying it first. Buckley emphasized that Palworld is not remotely similar to playing Pokemon with guns, and he hopes players give it a chance before forming opinions.

Moreover, Buckley doesn't view Pokemon as direct competition for Palworld, citing a lack of significant audience crossover and again drawing parallels to ARK. He also doesn't see Palworld as competing with other games like Helldivers 2, despite a notable overlap in player bases. Buckley critiqued the notion of competition in gaming, suggesting it's often a manufactured concept for marketing purposes. He believes the real challenge lies in timing game releases rather than competing directly with other titles.

If Buckley had his way, he would have preferred a different tagline for Palworld, such as "Palworld: It's Kind of Like ARK if ARK Met Factorio and Happy Tree Friends." He admitted, though, that this doesn't have the same catchy ring to it as the original label.

Buckley and I also discussed the potential for Palworld on the Nintendo Switch 2, the possibility of Pocketpair being acquired, and more. You can find our full conversation here.