Last summer, Palworld developer Pocketpair entered into a significant agreement with Sony Music Entertainment to expand the Palworld universe beyond gaming through merchandise, music, and other products. This business deal sparked a wave of speculation among fans, who mistakenly believed it signaled an impending acquisition, especially following earlier rumors that Pocketpair was in discussions with Microsoft for a buyout.
Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe later clarified that the acquisition rumors were unfounded, yet the conversation around a potential buyout persisted. This speculation was fueled by Microsoft's aggressive acquisition strategy within the AA gaming industry and their interest in Japanese developers, as well as Sony's own series of acquisitions in response.
The question remains: will Pocketpair ever be acquired? The decision ultimately rests with Mizobe. At the Game Developers Conference last month, Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, John 'Bucky' Buckley, expressed strong skepticism about the possibility of an acquisition. He stated, "Our CEO would never allow it. He'd never allow it. He'd never allow it. He would never, never allow it. He likes doing his own thing and he likes being his own boss. He doesn't like people telling him what to do."
Buckley's emphatic response underscores Mizobe's strong preference for independence. He added, "So I would be shocked. 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. No, it'll be interesting to see where the two paths go. We, Pocketpair, are obviously only involved in where the game path is going. Palworld as an IP, we are involved, but it’s very much in the hands of Aniplex and Sony Music who are steering that ship right now. We are just offering our advice and thoughts as they take that."
In our interview, Buckley also discussed the potential for Palworld to be released on the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio's response to the game being dubbed "Pokemon with guns," and more. You can delve into the full discussion [ttpp].
