Palworld is officially getting an MMORPG spin-off in the form of Palworld Online, but it might not be the instant hit for existing players that you might expect, as it's only coming to mobile.
Palworld Online isn't being developed and published by Pocketpair, but by Garena. Per a press release, it "reimagines the depth, freedom, and scale of the original PC survival creature-collecting title for mobile." It adds: "As an officially licensed title, it introduces a new narrative setting with original story elements, while expanding into a Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) ecosystem."
The existence of a Palworld MMO isn't a huge shock, as the name of the game surfaced online (pun not intended) back in May thanks to the filing of a trademark. While there was no official announcement, fans immediately speculated that the title might point to an MMO of some sort, and they were right – though I can't help but wonder if its mobile-only trajectory might limit its player base somewhat.
Garena promises that the experience has been optimized for mobile, though, featuring "streamlined, touch-friendly interface with optional one-tap controls" to make things easier. Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe also notes in a statement that "Garena has extensive experience in global publishing, localization, and live operations for mobile games," adding: "We are pleased to work with Garena on the licensed development of Palworld Online and look forward to seeing a new Palworld experience brought to players worldwide."
Crucially, this is a completely different game to Krafton's Palworld Mobile, so there'll soon be two alternative ways to experience the series on your phone.
Anyway, there won't be too long to wait to find out how Palworld Online lands, as it's set to arrive on iOS and Android devices at some point this year, adding to an already busy year for the franchise between the main game's 1.0 release and its new physical trading card game.
