Palworld has seen its fair share of new Pals since Pocketpair first launched its Pokemon-like survival game into the wild, with 1.0 adding 72 just over the summer – but that doesn't mean that the developers are in a rush to add loads more.
Speaking in a new interview with MP1st, Pocketpair head of publishing and communications John "Bucky" Buckley explains as much when asked how the studio plans to keep the game's roster "fresh," so to speak.
"We try not to think of new Pals as simply adding another number to the roster," the lead admits. "Rather than saying, 'We need to release 100 new Pals with the next update,' we try to add Pals in a meaningful way."
The devs aren't trying to add new Pals willy-nilly. They want each Pal to be memorable, and that means giving each one's conception a good bit of thought.
"Ideally, every Pal should have something that gives players a reason to remember it," as Buckley says, "whether that is its design, abilities, work suitability, combat role, personality, or sometimes just something strange or funny about it."
Not to mention what more Pals means for the roster. With each new Pal comes an adjustment to the overall game's balance, if you think about it – they all bring new abilities to the table, after all.
As Buckley describes, "Of course, balance becomes more complicated as the roster grows, so we continue to look at player data and feedback every time we release new Pals." In other words, Pocketpair keeps a close eye on fans' thoughts following the addition of any Pals.
The last batch was quite a hefty one as well, and, yes, balance patches followed close behind. An update in early September saw various Pal adjustments, battle changes, item tweaks, and much more.
It's evident that the work for Pocketpair doesn't simply end at the addition of new Pals, and it's a more well-thought-out process, as Buckley details. Will I still wait around hoping for some pastel pink, fairy-themed Pals, though? Yes.
