Palworld CEO Rejects Acquisition: 'Never Allow It,' Says Communications Director

Last summer, Palworld developer Pocketpair signed a deal with Sony Music Entertainment to expand the Palworld universe into merchandise, music, and other products. This business agreement, however, led some fans to mistakenly believe it signaled an upcoming acquisition, especially following rumors earlier in the year about potential talks with Microsoft. These acquisition rumors were later debunked by Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe, yet they sparked widespread speculation about Pocketpair's future, particularly amidst Microsoft's aggressive acquisition strategy within the AA gaming sector and Sony's retaliatory acquisitions.

The question of whether Pocketpair will ever be acquired remains open, but at the Game Developers Conference last month, communications director and publishing manager John 'Bucky' Buckley firmly dismissed the possibility. "Our CEO would never allow it," Buckley emphasized. "He likes doing his own thing and being his own boss. He doesn't like people telling him what to do." Buckley's strong stance suggests that any acquisition of Pocketpair is highly unlikely in the foreseeable future, though he acknowledged a distant possibility: "Maybe when he's old, and he might just sell it off for money. And that would be sad, but in my lifetime, I probably won't see it."

Buckley also highlighted the current dynamics around the Palworld IP, noting that while Pocketpair remains involved, the direction of the IP is largely in the hands of Aniplex and Sony Music. "We are just offering our advice and thoughts as they take that," he explained.

Buckley and I also discussed the potential for Palworld to launch on the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio's reaction to the game being dubbed "Pokemon with guns," and more. You can delve into our full conversation right here.