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Palworld cover

Palworld 2026

Shooter by PocketPair, published by PocketPair.

Xbox Series X|S PC (Microsoft Windows) PlayStation 5 Mac Xbox One Shooter Role-playing (RPG) Hack and slash/Beat 'em up ESRB: T Steam Deck Verified Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, PC
70
Critics
aggregate score
72
Players
IGDB rating
95%
Very Positive
417,059 Steam reviews
28,063 playing now
on Steam, 42,788 peak today
85 h to beat
main story, 88 h for everything
0 awards won
1 nominations

About

It is on Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, PC. On Steam, 95% of 417,059 player reviews are positive (Very Positive). 28,063 people are playing it on Steam right now, with a peak of 64,416 in the last 30 days. It is Verified on Steam Deck. The main story takes about 85 hours, doing everything about 88 hours. It was nominated for 1 award.

Palworld is a multiplayer open-world survival game that combines creature-collecting with crafting, base-building, and combat. Set on the Palpagos Islands, players capture and tame animal-like creatures called Pals, which can be used as mounts, combat partners, or workers at player-built bases. The game incorporates firearms and darker satirical elements into the monster-taming formula.

Story

The Palpagos Islands are home to hundreds of mysterious creatures known as Pals. Players awaken in this untamed open world where multiple factions vie for control: the Rayne Syndicate, the Free Pal Alliance liberation movement, the Brothers of the Eternal Pyre, the Palpagos Islands Defense Force, and the Pal Genetic Research Unit. Each faction is led by powerful Pal trainers who occupy towers scattered across the islands, guarding their territory against outsiders. Caught between these warring groups, players must survive by capturing and forming bonds with Pals while navigating a lawless frontier where hostile forces patrol the wilds and a wanted system punishes those who cross the wrong lines.

What is happening now

Palworld is an action-RPG that blends creature-catching mechanics with survival and combat elements across multiple platforms. The game launched in early access and has faced a mixed critical reception, though it's maintained player interest since its 2026 debut. Pocketpair is preparing to exit early access with a full 1.0 release, marking a significant milestone after the game spent years in development limbo on Steam. The studio has acknowledged that the initial release functioned as a "soft prologue," with version 1.1 already planned to address long-standing player feedback. Lead developers have hinted that upcoming updates will deliver features fans have been actively requesting, suggesting the team is committed to expanding the game's scope beyond its current state.

How long to beat Palworld

from 2 players
Main storyrushing through the story
85 h
Main + extrasstory plus side content
65 h
Completionisteverything the game has
88 h

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Awards

0 won, 1 more nomination
Gamescom Award 2024
Nominated: Most Entertaining

Media

Palworld screenshot
Watch trailer 1 Watch trailer 2 Watch trailer 3 Watch trailer 4 Watch trailer 5 Watch trailer 6

Releases

Platform
Date
July 10, 2026 (early access from March 3, 2025)
July 10, 2026 (early access from January 19, 2024)
July 10, 2026 (early access from September 24, 2024)
July 10, 2026 (early access from January 19, 2024)
July 10, 2026 (early access from January 19, 2024)

Earliest full release on each platform; regional dates can differ.

PC and Steam Deck

Steam store page

Steam Deck: Verified works great out of the box

Minimum
Recommended
OS
Windows 10 (64-Bit)
Windows 11 (64-Bit)
Processor
Intel Core i5-9400F
Intel Core i5-12400 / AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Memory
16 GB RAM
32 GB RAM
Graphics
GeForce GTX 1660
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti / Radeon RX 6700 XT
DirectX
Version 11
Version 11
Network
Broadband Internet connection
Broadband Internet connection
Storage
40 GB available space
40 GB available space
Additional Notes
SSD Required - Performance may vary depending on the amount of active Pals.
SSD Required - Performance may vary depending on the amount of active Pals.

Will it run on my PC?

Your numbers stay in this browser.

Requirements and Deck status as listed on Steam, checked Oct 28, 2026.

Palworld player count

concurrent players on Steam
28,063playing now1h ago
42,788peak today
64,41630-day peak
64,416highest we have seenOct 25, 2026
Oct 23: 55,971 Oct 24: 62,988 Oct 25: 64,416 Oct 26: 46,680 Oct 27: 48,931 Oct 28: 46,508 Oct 29: 43,143 Oct 30: 44,501 Oct 31: 50,845 Nov 1: 52,293 Nov 2: 42,788
Oct 23daily peak, last 11 daystoday

Players counted on Steam every one to six hours; the daily peak is the highest count of the day.

Palworld achievements

75 achievements on Steam

Rarest

Arena Legend Reached legend rank in the arena
0.6%
Arena Champion Reached Master Rank in the Arena
1.2%
Feybreak Guru Obtained 20 Tanzee Effigies
1.3%
Volcano Guru Obtained 20 Pengullet Effigies
1.5%
Snowy Mountain Guru Obtained 20 Rooby Effigies
1.5%
Forest Guru Obtained 20 Lamball Effigies
1.6%
All 75 achievements by how many players unlocked them
Desert Guru Obtained 20 Munchill Effigies
1.6%
Sakurajima Guru Obtained 20 Herbil Effigies
2%
World Traveler Obtained 4 Yakumo Effigies
2.1%
Trail of the Castaway Obtained 40 Notes
2.2%
Sunreach Guru Obtained 20 Depresso Effigies
2.8%
World Tree Guru Obtained 20 Cattiva Effigies
3%
Forest Traveler Obtained 4 Lunaris Effigies
3%
Island Traveler Obtained 4 Relaxaurus Effigies
3.7%
Champion of the Palpagos Islands
3.9%
Palpagos Guardian Obtained 100 Lifmunk Effigies
5.3%
King of Salvation
5.9%
Unstoppable Streak Cleared 10 enemy faction bases
6.2%
No-Fly Zone
6.9%
Veteran Angler Reeled in 50 Pals
6.9%
Pal Labor Professor Completed 70 Pal Labor Research projects
7.2%
Hidden Potential Awakened a Pal for the first time
8.5%
Invader from Space
8.6%
Seasoned Angler Reeled in 30 Pals
9.8%
Blood and Iron Crafted 20,000 ammo
10.1%
A Nose for Treasure Found 5 treasures with Treasure Maps
10.1%
Savior of Palpagos
10.6%
Palpagos Guru Obtained 50 Lifmunk Effigies
10.7%
Senior Adventurer Cleared 20 dungeons
11.4%
Silver Champ Reached Silver Rank in the Arena
12%
Voice of Resentment Maximized the rank of 5 Pals
13.5%
Incarnation of the Eternal Flame
13.7%
Sphere Craftsman Crafted 2,000 spheres
14.1%
Pal Labor Researcher Completed 30 Pal Labor Research projects
14.6%
Lunker Hunter Reeled in 1 Lunker
15.2%
To the World Tree Set foot within the World Tree
15.2%
Legendary Ocean King
15.4%
Meddling With Mutation Mutated a Pal for the first time
15.5%
Novice Angler Reeled in 10 Pals
15.7%
Sunreach Sovereign
15.8%
Elite Pal Dispatcher Undertook 20 Pal Expeditions
16.6%
Eclipsed Siren
17.1%
Overhunting Caught 1000 Pals
17.8%
Best Friends Forever Reached Trust level 10 with a Pal
18.4%
All for One Maximized the rank of a Pal
20.4%
Feybreak Sovereign
20.4%
Dark Knight of Legend
21.7%
Holy Knight of Legend
21.9%
Exceptional Pal Tamer Caught 140 kinds of Pals
22.7%
Novice Pal Dispatcher Undertook 10 Pal Expeditions
22.7%
Pal Labor Student Completed 10 Pal Labor Research projects
23.2%
Senior Surveyor Found 70 new areas
23.2%
Twilight Siren
24.5%
Blossom Sovereign
24.9%
Legendary Steed of Ice
25.3%
Predator Hunter
26.8%
Legendary Celestial Dragon
27.1%
Iron Heart Crafted 10,000 ingots
27.5%
Alpha Pal Slayer
27.7%
Successful Infiltration Cleared 1 enemy faction base
28.6%
Conqueror of the Sea Seized the Oil Rig
29.3%
Astral Sovereign
31.7%
Junior Surveyor Found 30 new areas
35.3%
Desert Sovereign
35.7%
Rookie Pal Slayer
38.9%
Volcano Sovereign
39.9%
Inhuman Act Caught a Human
41.2%
Freshman Surveyor Found 10 new areas
44.6%
Seasoned Pal Tamer Caught 90 kinds of Pals
45.1%
Forest Sovereign
50.9%
Skilled Pal Tamer Caught 50 kinds of Pals
62.6%
Hillside Sovereign
73%
Intermediate Pal Tamer Caught 20 kinds of Pals
76.2%
Newbie Pal Tamer Caught 10 kinds of Pals
81.6%
Beginning of the Legend Caught your first Pal
92.4%

Share of Steam players who unlocked each achievement.

In the news

All 373 stories
Palworld Developer Still Interested In Bringing The Game To Switch 2
1 outlet · Oct 29, 2026
PocketPair Responds to 'Palworld's' Switch 2 Release Demand: CEO Expresses His Interest
1 outlet · Oct 29, 2026
Pocketpair CEO Open to Palworld Switch 2 Talks as Nintendo Lawsuit Continues
1 outlet · Oct 28, 2026
Pocketpair Would Love to Release Palworld on Nintendo Switch 2, Despite Pokémon Legal Battle
2 outlets · Oct 28, 2026
Nintendo might be suing them, but Palworld CEO would still "love" to bring the survival game to Switch 2
4 outlets · Oct 28, 2026
Pocketpair CEO on keeping the indie spirit alive after Palworld’s success
1 outlet · Oct 27, 2026
Palworld's First Official Toy Collection Is Here, Complete With Mystery Eggs and Adorable Pals
1 outlet · Oct 26, 2026
Palworld Side By Side is update 1.1 in a fancy hat, Pocketpair dev clarifies, not a new game or a "massive update"
1 outlet · Oct 22, 2026
More headlines - the next 192

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