After more than two years in early access, Palworld has launched in 1.0, and there’s some good news for anyone looking to dive into it. Usually, early access games charge a smaller fee to entice users, increasing the sticker price once the full release goes live. Palworld developer Pocketpair is bucking that trend, and it says that the game’s price will remain at $30 following its full launch on PC and console.
“After much thought, we have decided not to raise the price of Palworld following the 1.0 release and will keep it at $29.99,” the developer wrote. “We are incredibly proud of how far Palworld has come. Thanks to the amazing support of our players, it has become a success beyond our wildest dreams. As a small way of saying thank you, we’ll be keeping the price at $29.99. Thank you for your continued support.”
A lot has changed in Palworld since it first hit the scene in 2024, as the creature-collecting and survival-crafting game has received numerous gameplay updates and new content. Some of these changes were legally required, as Palworld found itself in the crosshairs of Nintendo shortly after launch. The company sued Pocketpair for copyright and patent infringement of the Pokemon franchise, and Pocketpair was forced to appease Nintendo by compromising on certain gameplay mechanics, like gliding.
Meanwhile, Nintendo has also been taken to task for attempting to copyright the gameplay mechanic of “summoning characters and making them fight,” an idea that numerous games utilized long before Pokemon arrived on the scene. In November 2025, the new head of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), John A. Squires, ordered a reexamination of Nintendo’s patent.
What’s next for Pocketpair, now that Palworld is out in the wild? The studio plans to keep supporting the game with post-launch content, and it’s also working on an official IRL card game alongside a cozy Palworld spin-off. Palworld also reached an impressive milestone before its 1.0 release, as Pocketpair reported that the game had reached 40 million players so far.
Darryn Bonthuys
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