Palworld CEO Rejects Acquisition: 'It's Not Happening'

Last summer, Palworld developer Pocketpair signed a deal with Sony Music Entertainment to expand the Palworld universe beyond gaming through merchandise, music, and other products. This business agreement sparked rumors among fans, particularly after earlier rumors suggested Pocketpair was in talks with Microsoft for a potential acquisition. However, CEO Takuro Mizobe later clarified that these acquisition rumors were untrue, yet they fueled ongoing speculation, especially given Microsoft's recent acquisitions in the AA industry and their interest in Japanese developers, as well as Sony's own acquisitions in response.

So, will Pocketpair ever be acquired? The decision ultimately rests with Mizobe, but according to communications director and publishing manager John 'Bucky' Buckley, the prospect of Pocketpair's acquisition is highly unlikely. At the Game Developers Conference last month, Buckley emphasized Mizobe's stance, stating, "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 firm stance suggests that any acquisition in the near future is improbable. 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."

Buckley and I also spoke about the possibility of Palworld coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio’s reaction to the game being labeled "Pokemon with guns," and other topics in our interview. You can read the full discussion right here.