Palworld Boss Responds to Demand for Switch 2 Release
Palworld’s CEO has responded to ongoing demands for the popular creature-catching, survival game to come to Nintendo Switch 2. Since launching in early access back in 2024, Palworld has naturally drawn comparisons to Nintendo’s Pokemon franchise. As a result, many Nintendo users have wanted to play the game for themselves and have lobbied for developer Pocketpair to bring the game to Switch hardware. And while such a release for Palworld on a Nintendo console doesn’t seem to be in the cards just yet, those in charge of the game are in favor of the idea.
Speaking to VGC, Pocketpair’s CEO Takuru Mizobe said that the studio loves the Nintendo Switch 2 and would like to release Palworld on the hardware if possible. While Pocketpair previously stated that Palworld wouldn’t be possible on the Switch 1, the technically limitations of the platform are no longer an issue when it comes to the Switch 2. As a result, Palworld could feasibly release on the console in the future, as long as Pocketpair is willing to put in the legwork to bring it over.
“First of all, I should say that we think the Switch 2 is a really amazing platform, not just for games globally, but especially here in Japan and for the Japanese games industry. It’s been an incredible platform,” Mizobe said. “If there’s ever a future where we have the opportunity to discuss or consider bringing Palworld to the Switch platform in some way, then we’d love to have those conversations.”
Perhaps the biggest hurdle when it comes to porting Palworld to Switch 2 would be associated with Nintendo itself. Not long after its arrival in 2024, Nintendo filed a lawsuit against against Pocketpair due to Palworld’s similarities to Pokemon. The lawsuit, which is still ongoing, has since prompted Pocketpair to make certain changes to Palworld to distance itself a bit from Pokemon.
Even if Palworld is becoming a bit more unique as a result of these overhauls, there’s no guarantee that Nintendo would ever want the game to be released on Switch 2. Not only does Nintendo seemingly view Pocketpair as a company it’s opposed to, but it could see Palworld as a direct competitor to its own Pokemon games on Switch 2. As a result, to prevent this competition between the franchises, Nintendo could simply disallow Palworld from ever coming to Switch 2, which would be a disappointment for fans who have been hoping for such a release.