Annabelle Stephenson
Palworld, a captivating open-world survival game developed by the Japanese company Pocketpair, has taken the gaming world by storm. Since its early access release, the game has exceeded all expectations, selling an astonishing seven million copies in just five days. The game’s popularity is indicative of its unique mechanics, which revolve around monster collecting and exploration.
Palworld achieved significant milestones in terms of sales. It sold one million copies on its very first day, followed by an additional two million on the second day. Within a span of 40 hours, the number of copies sold reached a staggering three million, and the figure continued to rise, reaching five million in just three days. In a surprising turn of events, Palworld sold a total of six million copies within a span of only four days. These impressive sales figures are based solely on sales on the Steam platform, without accounting for sales on the Microsoft Store for PC/Xbox or the number of players using Game Pass.
Industry expert BenjiSales’ analysis reveals that Palworld has even outperformed the highly anticipated Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which sold 6.5 million copies during its first week. Interestingly, while Pokémon Legends: Arceus was sold at full price, Palworld has the advantage of being priced at just 26 euros, making it more accessible to gamers from various backgrounds and budgets.
In addition to its remarkable sales figures, Palworld has also made its mark on the Steam platform. The game successfully displaced Valve’s Counter-Strike 2, securing the top spot on the list of games with the highest concurrent player counts. At its peak, Palworld boasted an impressive 1.86 million concurrent players, showcasing its immense popularity amongst gamers. While it may not have achieved the record-breaking numbers of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, which recorded 3.25 million concurrent players, Palworld’s potential for growth and surprise should not be underestimated.
Unsurprisingly, Nintendo has responded to the appearance of Pokémon-related mods in Palworld. Some fans have raised concerns about potential plagiarism in the monster designs. However, legal experts suggest that Nintendo may face challenges in pursuing a case against Pocketpair, given the unique elements and originality present in Palworld’s gameplay. It remains uncertain whether Nintendo’s legal team will attempt to challenge Palworld’s success or not.
