The dark and twisted Pokémon-inspired game Palworld has exploded in popularity, selling over 1 million copies in just 8 hours since its early access launch. Developer Pocketpair announced the milestone amidst server troubles from the flood of new tamers and their trigger-happy monster companions.
Palworld’s servers are buckling under the strain, prompting Pocketpair to plead for patience while they resolve the issues. The runaway success makes Palworld Steam’s biggest launch so far this year according to GamesRadar. And that’s only counting the Steam numbers – with Xbox Game Pass access too, the actual total is likely much higher.
Clearly, many gamers hunger for a gritty take on catching cute creatures in Palworld’s world. Instead of releasing extra Mons, you slaughter them with a cleaver. You can also sell them into slavery, dine on their meat, and force them to battle to the death. One gruesome trailer shows mountains of lifeless Pal corpses. The satirical commentary on the darker undertones of Pokémon is clear. After all, the core of Pokémon revolves around forcing beloved friends to fight for personal glory.
Early reviews praise Palworld’s offbeat premise and gameplay, though as an early access title, the devs aim to polish things further down the line. For now, budding monster-wranglers can pick it up on Steam for $27 before the price reverts back to $30. Xbox gamers can also jump in on day one via Game Pass. Just be warned – this is not a game for younger or more sensitive players. The only real limit on violence seems to be your conscience and creativity.
