Palworld’s Mac Port’s Release Date Seems Like a Statement

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home January 3, 2025 4 Views 6 Min Read
Palworld's Mac Port's Release Date Seems Like a Statement

Palworld is kicking off the new year with a bang, as the popular indie hit is set to finally come to Mac systems in February. By the time February rolls around, Palworld will have experienced its first full year since launching, and as the game has taken the industry by storm, it has also caused quite a controversy as well. Despite its success, there has also been criticism that Palworld is a Pokémon rip-off, which has gotten the game and its developer Pocket Pair Inc. into some hot water.

While there are some similarities in artstyle and the obviously shared mechanics of creature collection, Palworld is very different from a gameplay perspective. Its large focus on survival-based gameplay sets it apart from the Pokémon formula, but that hasn’t stopped the comparisons from rolling out since it was announced. Leading up to its release, many were even referring to Palworld as “Pokémon with guns”, but Pocket Pair Inc. has emphasized the game as its own thing. These comparisons eventually led to a lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. While this lawsuit presents an issue for Pocket Pair Inc., releasing Palworld‘s Mac port on February 27 seems like a bold choice, as that’s also Pokémon Day.

palworld-kicking-pals

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Palworld’s Mac Port Launch Could Hold a Deeper Meaning

Of course, it’s possible that this release date is just a mere coincidence, but considering the rocky history Pocket Pair Inc. and The Pokémon Company have with one another now, it appears to be more of a statement from the former. The aforementioned lawsuit is going so far as to try and prevent sales of Palworld in Japan, which could really hurt the IP. Although the game is only a year old right now, Pocket Pair Inc. has made some serious moves with Palworld, including a major deal with Sony that aims to grow the franchise beyond gaming.

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company’s lawsuit against Palworld is seeking a small sum of 65,600, including late payment damages.

The Pokémon franchise is nearly 30 years old now, and it all began on February 27, 1996. Because of the franchise’s massive impact on pop culture, that date is now hailed as National Pokémon Day. Through the years, fans have celebrated this day in a variety of ways, while The Pokémon Company itself has marked this day as a perfect date to make announcements.

  • Pokémon Day 2024 announced Pokémon Legends Z-A and Pokémon TCG Pocket.

Palworld’s Mac Port Launch Sends a Clear Signal

After a year filled with the highs of great success and the lows of being brought into legal woes, Palworld‘s developer seems to have taken the year in stride. On the one hand, launching the Mac port on Pokémon Day could be seen as rocking the boat too much. However, on the other hand, it can also be taken as a sign that Pocket Pair Inc. is confident in itself as a franchise.

Palworld is Aiming to Have a Strong Second Year

Since Palworld is still in the early access stages, the game has received several updates since being released, and the recent launch of its Feybreak update on December 23 introduced a variety of great changes. From a new island to fresh weapons and Pals, the game is continuing to improve upon itself.

Following the Feybreak update, Palworld surpassed an impressive 212,000 concurrent players on Steam.

Closing out 2024 in such a powerful way bodes well for Palworld‘s 2025, and the game finally coming to Mac will only increase its growth. A Mac port may not be as monumental as its PS5 version, but expanding its audience while simultaneously giving a cheeky nod to its main competitor, Pokémon, showcases that Pocket Pair Inc. seems self-assured in its future.

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