Palworld's CEO Rejects Acquisition: 'Never Allowed,' Says Communications Director

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 led to some confusion among fans, who mistook it as a hint towards an upcoming acquisition, especially following rumors earlier in the year that Pocketpair was in discussions with Microsoft for a potential buyout.

Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe later clarified that these acquisition rumors were untrue, yet they sparked widespread discussion. Since then, speculation about a possible Pocketpair acquisition has continued, fueled by Microsoft's aggressive acquisition strategy across the AA gaming sector and their interest in Japanese developers, alongside Sony's own acquisition moves.

The question remains: Will Pocketpair ever be acquired? The decision ultimately lies with Mizobe. At the Game Developers Conference last month, Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, John 'Bucky' Buckley, expressed strong skepticism about the likelihood 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 comments were unequivocal. He elaborated, “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 potential for Palworld to be released on the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio's response to the game being labeled “Pokemon with guns”, and more in our comprehensive interview. You can delve into the full discussion right here.