Palworld CEO Rejects Acquisition: 'It's Not Happening'

Last summer, the developer of Palworld, Pocketpair, entered into an agreement with Sony Music Entertainment to expand the Palworld universe beyond gaming. This collaboration aimed to create merchandise, music, and other products. However, some fans misinterpreted this deal as an indication of an impending acquisition, especially following earlier rumors that Pocketpair was in discussions with Microsoft about a potential buyout.

Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe later clarified that these acquisition rumors were unfounded, yet they sparked significant discussion among the fanbase. The speculation intensified as Microsoft continued to acquire numerous AA studios and reportedly pursued Japanese developers, while Sony responded with acquisitions of its own.

The question remains: will Pocketpair ever be acquired? According to John 'Bucky' Buckley, Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, the likelihood is extremely low. Speaking at the Game Developers Conference, Buckley emphasized the CEO's stance, stating, "Our CEO would never allow it. He'd never allow it. He would never, never allow it. He likes doing his own thing and he likes being his own boss. He doesn't like people telling him what to do."

Buckley's comments suggest a strong resistance to acquisition from Mizobe, who values independence and autonomy. Buckley added, "So I would be shocked. Maybe when he's old, and he might just sell it off for money. And that would be sad, but in my lifetime, I probably won't see it. No, it'll be interesting to see where the two paths go. We, Pocketpair, are obviously only involved in where the game path is going. Palworld as an IP, we are involved, but it’s very much in the hands of Aniplex and Sony Music who are steering that ship right now. We are just offering our advice and thoughts as they take that."

In addition to discussing acquisition prospects, Buckley and I also touched on the potential for Palworld to be released on the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio's response to the game being labeled "Pokemon with guns," and other topics. You can find the complete interview here.