Pocketpair, Creator of Palworld, Expands into Game Publishing

Pocketpair, the creative minds behind the popular game Palworld, are branching out into publishing. They’ve launched a new arm called Pocketpair Publishing, and their first collaboration will be with Surgent Studios, a game development team based in the UK. While specifics about the type of game remain under wraps, fans will have to hold their excitement until its release in late 2025.

John ‘Bucky’ Buckley, the enthusiastic lead of Pocketpair Publishing and the company’s communications director, expressed their passion for this fresh venture. “We’re all about games at Pocketpair, and this new publishing initiative is our way of spreading more gaming joy,” he shared, his excitement palpable. “Navigating game development can be tough, but we’re here to smooth the path for creators, offering them the freedom to unleash their creativity. We’re excited to back Surgent Studios on this new title. Their unique ideas and dedication have resonated with us, and it’s an honor to aid them in bringing their vision to life. Our goal is to honor developers’ independence while collaborating to craft amazing games for players everywhere.”

Abubakar Salim, CEO of Surgent Studios, chimed in to share his perspective. “There’s an intriguing trend we’ve spotted in entertainment, and Pocketpair is helping us explore it through a horror game. Both of our studios aren’t strangers to taking leaps, and this game will reflect that boldness. It’s going to be a quirky, compact experience that we hope engages and intrigues players,” Salim explained. “We’re still in discussions about expanding the Tales of Kenzera universe, but this project stands alone, marking both our journey and future direction.”

Palworld continues to enjoy massive popularity, with over 25 million players and sales hitting 15 million copies on Steam. However, Surgent Studios faced some challenges with several layoffs back in July 2024, though official numbers weren’t disclosed.