Palworld has achieved a remarkable milestone by selling over a million copies in just over eight hours, as reported by developer Pocketpair. The game’s distinctive premise, featuring ‘Pokémon with guns,’ has garnered attention for quite some time, and its launch day has proven to be a resounding success.
The overwhelming success has led to strain on the game’s servers due to a surge in gun-wielding PokéMasters. The developer acknowledges the issue and assures players that efforts are underway to address it promptly. GamesRadar notes that the game’s substantial number of downloads and concurrent players make it the most significant Steam launch of the year so far.
It’s important to note that these figures pertain exclusively to Steam. While the early access version of Palworld is available on Game Pass, exact download numbers for Xbox Series X/S are not provided. The game’s dark and gritty take on the beloved concept of pocket monsters appears to have resonated with a large audience.
Palworld ventures into a more sinister realm where, instead of releasing unwanted creatures, known as Pals, back into the wild, players have the option to eliminate them with a cleaver. Additionally, players can sell their “Pals” into slavery, consume them, and engage them in battles to the death. Trailers for the game depict stacks of Pal corpses, adding a satirical twist to the traditional Pokémon theme where players make their friendly creatures fight for personal gain.
Despite its controversial elements, Palworld has received positive reviews, considering it is still in the early access stage. The developers are likely to refine the gameplay in the upcoming months. For those interested, the game is available on Steam for $27 (limited time offer, reverting to $30) and is also a day-one Game Pass release for Xbox users. Whether players choose to minimize the virtual murder count or embrace the darker aspects of the game is up to their discretion.
