Palworld’s 1.0 Release Will Put It Face to Face With a Giant

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Despite online chatter, Palworld remains a popular game. Although player numbers have decreased since its initial release, it still sees around 30,000 to 40,000 daily players on Steam. The game hasn’t been without its issues, though. Upon release, Palworld faced criticism for its creature designs, which many found too similar to those in Pokemon. Last year, the game’s developer, Pocketpair, was also sued by Nintendo, who claimed the game’s creature-capturing method infringed on their patented Poke Ball technology.

Palworld already offers players a lot to do – dozens of hours of gameplay! However, the game is still in early access, meaning it’s not fully finished. Pocketpair recently announced that the complete 1.0 version will launch on all platforms in 2026. While there will be some new content added later this year, major updates will be limited before the full release. This makes sense, but with the likely release of the next generation of Pokémon games in 2026 as well, this approach could potentially hurt Palworld’s success.

The Gen 10 Pokemon Games May Come Out the Same Year as Palworld’s 1.0 Update

Although Game Freak hasn’t officially announced the next generation of *Pokemon* games, a recent rumor suggests we might hear news soon. A Twitter user known for leaking *Pokemon* information, CentroLeaks, claims the Gen 10 games will be revealed at the next Pokemon Presents event. Since The Pokemon Company typically holds a Pokemon Presents each February on Pokemon Day, a full announcement about Gen 10 could happen relatively soon.

New information indicates the next *Pokemon* games will likely take place in a region based on Greece, and will feature multiple islands to explore.

Game Freak Has Already Ended a Major Trend With the Gen 10 Pokemon Games

Game Freak usually releases a new generation of *Pokémon* games every three years. For instance, *Pokémon Sword and Shield* came out about three years after *Pokémon Sun and Moon*, and *Pokémon Scarlet and Violet* followed three years after that. However, this year, they’re doing things differently. While *Pokémon Scarlet and Violet* are nearly three years old, there won’t be a brand new *Pokémon* game released in 2024. The upcoming *Pokémon Legends: Z-A* is considered a main series title, but it won’t start a new generation of games.

If They Launch Too Close to Each Other, the Next Mainline Pokemon Games Could Eat into Palworld’s Success

The new generation of *Pokemon* games is taking longer to develop, and is now expected to release next year. This timing could be problematic for *Palworld*, as its full 1.0 update might launch around the same time. Although the two games are quite different, the popularity of *Pokemon* could overshadow *Palworld*’s release. *Palworld* isn’t planning many large updates before the 1.0 launch, meaning it might lose players in the months leading up to it. When the 1.0 update finally arrives, many potential players might be preoccupied with the new *Pokemon* games, potentially delaying or preventing them from trying *Palworld*.

Since They’re Not Available on the Same Platforms, The Audiences for Palworld and Pokemon Aren’t Completely the Same

It’s worth remembering that the new *Pokémon* games and *Palworld* aren’t available on the same consoles, meaning they’re likely reaching different players. The next *Pokémon* games will probably be exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2, while *Palworld* is currently on every platform except Nintendo consoles (and PlayStation 4). Unless *Palworld* gets released on the Switch 2 next year, it won’t have to compete with the new *Pokémon* games among players who only use Nintendo systems.

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2025-09-21 19:07