Developer FURIOUS Over ‘Pokemon with Guns’ Label – Here’s Why

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Summary

  • Pocketpair’s communications director doesn’t like the “Pokemon with guns” label but acknowledges that it played a key role in Palworld’s popularity.
  • Despite comparisons with Pokemon, the director revealed that Palworld was actually inspired by ARK, with the goal of offering more unique and personality-driven creature experiences.
  • He encourages players to try Palworld for themselves to see that it’s much more than just “Pokemon with guns.”

The spokesperson for Pocketpair has acknowledged that their team finds it displeasing when Palworld is referred to as a game similar to “Pokemon with firearms.” Despite its debut, players have found it challenging to steer clear of likening Palworld to Pokemon, given the resemblance in the appearance of its creatures and the creature-capturing gameplay mechanism. However, Pocketpair doesn’t particularly appreciate this comparison.

2024 saw an unexpected triumph for the game Palworld, garnering over 32 million players across multiple platforms by February 2025. In this game, players engage in battles, capture, and employ “Pals” for various activities like base construction, combat, and exploration. While the gameplay mechanics and aesthetics share similarities with the well-known Pokemon series, Palworld distinguishes itself by incorporating firearms, enabling both Pals and players to engage in combat using these weapon types. This blend of features has earned the game the nickname “Pokemon with guns,” a label that developers at Pocketpair aren’t particularly fond of.

According to IGN’s report, during the Game Developers Conference in March 2025, John Buckley from Pocketpair discussed the team’s frustration over the game Palworld being frequently compared to Pokemon with guns. Buckley explained that while the audience was positive about the game after its June 2021 reveal, it was quickly labeled as such. Despite the team’s efforts to distance themselves from this comparison, they are still dealing with the lingering association and aren’t entirely pleased about it.

Palworld Developer Isn’t Happy About the ‘Pokemon with Guns’ Description

Later on, Buckley shared with IGN the source of inspiration for the game ‘Palworld’, admitting that the studio drew some ideas from ‘ARK’. He elaborated that what Pocketpair appreciated about ‘ARK’ was its heavy focus on dinosaurs, a concept they too wanted to explore but with a unique twist. The director aimed to design creatures with more distinct personalities, abilities, and individuality. However, before the first trailer of ‘Palworld’ even dropped, it was quickly labeled as “Pokemon with guns” by critics.

Despite Pocketpair’s reservations, Buckley acknowledged that the label did contribute significantly to the popularity of Palworld. He added that he is fine with fans using this term, but what the team dislikes is when people think that’s all the game encompasses. Buckley urged players to experience the game for themselves to discover its many other aspects. For those yet to play it, Palworld can be found on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms, with possibilities of a potential release on the upcoming Switch 2 still on the table.

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2025-04-11 00:24