Last summer, Palworld developer Pocketpair signed a deal with Sony Music Entertainment to expand the Palworld universe beyond gaming through merchandise, music, and other products. This business agreement sparked speculation among fans, who mistakenly believed it signaled an impending acquisition, especially following rumors earlier in the year that Pocketpair was in talks with Microsoft for a buyout.
Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe later debunked these acquisition rumors, but the conversation persisted. Fans continued to speculate, fueled by Microsoft's aggressive acquisition strategy in the AA gaming industry and Sony's counter-moves in the market.
So, will Pocketpair ever be acquired? The decision ultimately rests with Mizobe. However, when I spoke with Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, John 'Bucky' Buckley, at the Game Developers Conference last month, he expressed strong doubts about the possibility of an acquisition.
“Our CEO would never allow it,” Buckley stated emphatically. “He'd 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 elaborated further, saying, “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.”
Buckley and I also discussed the potential for Palworld to be released on the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio's response to the game being dubbed “Pokemon with guns,” and more in our interview. You can read the full discussion right here.
