In a notable development, Palworld, the popular creature-collecting game, has reached another significant milestone, surpassing 25 million players. This includes 15 million players on Steam and an additional 10 million on Xbox Game Pass, achieved within a month of its launch.

Developed by Pocketpair, the game is an innovative multiplayer adventure RPG that has quickly gained popularity, with over 2 million sales within the first 24 hours of its release.

The game stands out for its unique blend of multiplayer survival-crafting and adventure RPG elements, diverging from the standard Pokémon-inspired games. It's described as "Pokémon with guns," a tagline that has resonated universally and contributed to its surge in popularity.

Impressive Profit Margins

Having launched on both Steam and Xbox, the majority of players (63% or 12 million) initially played on Steam. If players paid full price for Palworld’s early access launch, Pocket Pair’s Steam revenue totals nearly $360 million. With a reported budget of under $7 million (¥1 billion), Pocket Pair’s margins are astronomical on Steam alone.

According to Steam sales data, approximately 36% of players are based in China, while 21% are from the United States. Surprisingly, only 2.5% come from Japan, the birthplace of Pokémon IP. Notably, there is a significant correlation between Palworld players and those who have previously engaged with Monster Hunter: World, Elden Ring, and Risk of Rain 2, according to Simon Carless of GameDiscoverCo.

Palworld vs Helldivers 2

What distinguishes Palworld is its ability to maintain a substantial player base on both Steam and Xbox Game Pass, indicating broad appeal across different gaming platforms. This diversity in the player base challenges the common assumption that gamers typically invest their time in only one live service game at a time.

Simultaneously, Helldivers 2, the third-person shooter from Arrowhead, has also seen remarkable success. SteamDB reports that Helldivers 2 has surpassed the 450,000 concurrent player mark on Steam.

While specific sales figures are unavailable, the high player count implies a substantial player base. The fact that both Palworld and Helldivers 2 are thriving in terms of player engagement suggests that, contrary to industry expectations, a significant number of gamers are embracing the opportunity to play both titles at the same time.

Despite a slight decline in concurrent player count since the game's release, community manager Bucky assures this pattern is standard and encouraged players to explore other games during content gaps, stating: "You don’t need to feel guilty about hopping from game to game."

Final Thoughts

In contrast to some instances where live service games fiercely compete for player attention, Palworld and Helldivers 2 demonstrate that gamers can make room for both experiences. This scenario stands in stark contrast to titles like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which struggled to retain players and lagged far behind the sustained engagement of Helldivers 2.

As the gaming landscape continues to evolve, the success of Palworld and Helldivers 2 challenges the conventional industry norms, proving that a sizable portion of gamers is willing and able to engage with multiple live service games simultaneously. The coexistence of these two titles with robust player numbers suggests a shift in player behavior, signaling a new era in the gaming community's approach to live service titles.