'Pokemon with guns' survival game Palworld reveals January 2024 early access in apparent delay

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Don't get confused by the 2023 release date currently listed on Steam

Palworld
(Image credit: Pocketpair)

Palworld, the open-world survival creature collector which has understandably come to be known as 'Pokemon with guns,' has seemingly been delayed to 2024. 

Developer Pocketpair dropped a new Palworld trailer at today's Summer Game Fest live show, and on top of some more cute critters to inevitably shoot with machine guns, it confirmed a January 2024 early access launch. 

Palworld has been listed for a 2023 release on Steam for some time, so this early access reveal essentially represents a non-trivial delay. We don't know when in 2023 it was apparently originally coming, but we now know we won't be playing it in any form until next year. 

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In case you're wondering what sort of early access is on offer here, we're talking about a proper stay in Steam's early access program, not advanced access to the game in exchange for pre-ordering or something. In other words, expect a bunch of regular content updates and fixes, as Pocketpair expects to stay in early access for "at least one year." 

 "Depending on the progress of development, we may consider extending early access or, if we are satisfied with the state of the game, officially releasing the game," the devs say. 

I've seen some early access roadmaps in my day, and my gut is telling me this one will be a little all over the place. After all, as the devs put it, "Palworld is a monster-catching, survival and crafting game, but incorporates a variety of mechanics from other genres in order to provide a completely new experience for everyone."

"Based on discussions within the community, we plan to actively implement content and system improvements that were not planned at the beginning of development but that the players long for," Pocketpair adds.

Early access priorities include new monsters, or Pals, to collect; more areas and dungeons to explore; and more items to craft and build. The launch build promises over 100 Pals, "a vast open world," over 350 items, and more than 70 types of buildings. 

Fae Farm is a much cuter, machine gun-free survival crafting game from the makers of monster hunting RPG Dauntless.

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.