Destin Legarie from Save State Plus podcast interviewed Bucky, the director and publishing manager, as well as the communications director at Pocketpair, the team behind survival game Palworld and other exciting projects. Here’s what we learned from the discussion. Palworld is currently available for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
Bucky shares his journey with Pocketpair, starting before the release of Craftopia, the company’s previous title. He initially joined to handle general LQA and community tasks, eventually taking over all community-related responsibilities. Reflecting on the early days, Bucky describes the company as small and basic, with the office located in a shared rental space in central Tokyo. Most team members, including Bucky, worked remotely, creating a relaxed and fun atmosphere focused on making games.
“It was extremely small and very basic. The company’s office was located in a shared rental space with about eight other small companies in central Tokyo. However, most employees, including myself, worked remotely. Back then, I hardly ever went to the office. The atmosphere was quiet, relaxed, and had a bit of a casual, almost boyish vibe. It was all about having fun, goofing around, and making games. Now it’s, well, I don’t know, quadruple A, or whatever they call it these days. But yes, it’s definitely big business now.”
How Palworld changed the company
The conversation shifts to Palworld, and Bucky reveals that while the team expected the game to perform well at launch, no one anticipated the massive success it achieved, reaching over 25 million players. The initial days following the launch were filled with shock and panic as the team struggled to keep up with the overwhelming response. Bucky also revealed that the game’s development cost was less than $150 million.
Despite the initial surge, Bucky acknowledges that player numbers have since stabilized. The team is now focused on addressing technical issues and implementing features like crossplay and server transfers to improve the game’s longevity. Looking ahead, Pocket Pair is also venturing into publishing, a move inspired by the flood of interest from developers and investors following Palworld’s success. Bucky explains that the decision to start a publishing division was not pre-planned but rather a response to the opportunities that arose post-launch.
“We started receiving emails from investor companies and venture capital firms. As the weeks went on, game companies, indie developers, hobbyist devs, and even major AAA studios, names that would likely surprise many, began flooding our inboxes with inquiries, especially in early January and February last year. The message was always the same. We took numerous meetings, and everyone essentially said, ‘We need funding’. We spent months discussing and evaluating what we could realistically do and how we could support developers who were struggling.”
Controversy surrounding stolen art and AI-generated content
The discussion then turns to the controversies surrounding Palworld, particularly the accusations of stolen 3D models and AI-generated content. Bucky dismisses these claims, emphasizing that the team created the game’s designs through a collaborative process involving in-house artists and community feedback. He also touches on the impact of streamers and social media in driving the game’s popularity, noting that while controversy brought attention, it’s hard to quantify its overall effect on sales or player engagement.
“I’m afraid to say it was human hand, whether people choose to believe that or not is up to them. The design process was fairly straightforward. The actual pal designs follow a simple structure. A team of in-house concept artists spends the day sketching rough ideas for new pals. The project manager and director then review these sketches and select the ones with potential. Once chosen, these designs are refined, fleshed out, and colored. Everyone votes on the designs, indicating whether they like them, dislike them, or think they need adjustments.”
One of the most debated designs that never made it was a pal resembling a shark, but with a small creature inside its mouth.
"The unique concept was that the actual pal was the creature inside, not the shark itself. This idea sparked weeks of debate, and though it never made it into the game, I still argue about it to this day. Maybe talking about it now is the best way to pressure my CEO into reconsidering."
The future of Pocketpair and Palworld
When asked about the future, Bucky confirms that the team’s primary focus is on reaching Palworld’s 1.0 release while also working on other projects, with plans to continue adding content and improving the game’s technical aspects. He also expresses openness to bringing Palworld to new platforms, including handheld devices, and mentions ongoing optimizations for Steam Deck and similar devices.
“Craftopia is still in active development, but despite what some may think, the team is very much working on it. Progress is steady, though the team is quite small. However, they are incredibly passionate and fully dedicated to the project, with no desire to shift their focus elsewhere. The game will reach version 1.0 when they feel it’s truly ready. As for our other games, OverDungeon had been finished for quite some time, but we recently revived it to develop a Switch version, which launched either this month or last. Whether we’ll add more content in the future remains uncertain, but it’s possible."
English (UK) 
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