Krafton’s PUBG Studios set to “faithfully reinterpret” Palworld as a mobile game

• Pocket Pair and Krafton have struck a deal to bring Palworld to mobile
• It appears the title won’t be a direct port but a reimagining designed for mobile

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Pocket Pair’s Palworld is making its way to mobile through a deal with PUBG publisher Krafton, confirming speculation that’s been swirling around the internet in recent weeks.

The rumour began on Twitter with an apparent job listing from Krafton, which sought a technical director for a mobile version of Palworld.

Now, Krafton has officially confirmed that a mobile Palworld game is indeed being developed by its PUBG Studios creative team. The firm has signed a licence agreement with Pocket Pair to “faithfully reinterpret” the PC and console title, indicating this won’t be a direct port.

Travel across the land… And platforms

Through its contract with Pocket Pair, Krafton will handle the development of Palworld’s mobile iteration, leveraging its experience on the platform. In a statement translated via Google, Krafton shared its aim to “implement the original’s main fun elements to fit the mobile environment.”

Palworld was first released on PC and Xbox this January to major success as a monster battler and open-world survival adventure. It achieved the third-highest number of concurrent Steam users ever, at 2.1 million, sold 15 million copies on the platform in a single month, and reached another 10 million people on Xbox.

The apparent likeness between many Pals and Pokémon was a significant driver in interest in the game, earning it the unofficial nickname Pokémon with Guns.

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed a lawsuit against Palworld this September, believed to target potential Poké Ball patent infringement rather than character designs, but that didn’t stop the open-world adventure from voyaging onto PS5 shortly thereafter.

Now, with a mobile adaptation confirmed, Palworld seems set to reach many more players, whether the Pokémon brand approves of it or not.