Palworld 1.0 is finally rolling out next month, and while developer Pocketpair confirms that early-access players won't need to wipe their save data, it's recommended that they start fresh anyway.
During the Summer Game Fest 2026 stream, it was announced that Palworld 1.0 releases on July 10 after more than two years in early access. Palworld hit enormous player numbers when it first released – it has the third highest concurrent player peak of all time on Steam at over 2.1 million (thanks, SteamDB). Needless to say, there are a lot of people with existing save files, but it's entirely up to the players how they want to handle things going into the game's full launch.
"You do NOT need to wipe your data for Palworld 1.0!" Pocketpair writes on Twitter, before quickly suggesting, "but you should."
The devs continue: "Players can continue their existing saves if they wish, as we want to respect the time and effort you have put in.
"However, due to the large number of changes to the game, including overhauls to mechanics and new content, we believe that starting a new character will give you the best experience of Palworld!"
You do NOT need to wipe your data for Palworld 1.0!...but you should😇 Players can continue their existing saves if they wish, as we want to respect the time and effort you have put in. However, due to the large number of changes to the game, including overhauls to mechanics… pic.twitter.com/dVCoQ5gKANJune 7, 2026
This point is reiterated by Pocketpair publishing and communications lead John "Bucky" Buckley, who would also "recommend starting fresh" in 1.0.
While continuing your save is an option, or using "the global pal box to move pals over" if you're attached to your collection of creatures, Bucky thinks "a full fresh save is the way to go for 1.0." He adds: "If you haven't played since the January 2024 launch then 100% start fresh."
Of course, the choice is still up to players – I know I'd be hesitant to leave behind a save file I'd been playing for over two years if it was me – but if you want to follow the official recommendation, you know what to do.
Palworld 1.0 is set to bring more new Pals to befriend, as well as areas to explore, and "fragments of a grand narrative that inches closer to the truth of the world." It's been quite some time coming – here's hoping it'll be able to meet expectations.
Be sure to keep up with everything announced at Summer Game Fest 2026 in our handy roundup.
