Palworld version 1.0 is so big it will shock you, says publishing lead, “It’s all going to change”

Palworld has been one of the most talked-about survival crafting games since it launched in early access, and players have been waiting to see what the full 1.0 release will bring. While the update is expected to arrive later this year, the developers are still keeping most of the details under wraps. However, a recent interview has revealed that the release version of the game could be far bigger than many players expect.

During an interview with GamesRadar+ at Game Developers Conference, Pocketpair Publishing’s head of publishing and communications, John “Bucky” Buckley, shared some early insights about the upcoming update. According to Buckley, the goal of the full release is to make Palworld feel like the ultimate survival crafting experience.

Players will be surprised by the amount of content in Palworld 1.0

“It’s still quite top secret. There’s gonna be things that surprise people. I think people will be shocked what we’ve been able to achieve for 1.0. 1.0 is going to fall at kind of a weird point for players. You can jump into 1.0 with your existing character if you want to. We’re not force wiping anyone. You can jump in. But we are going to kind of softly recommend you start from scratch, because kind of everything is going to change from the beginning to the end – it’s all going to change.”

John Buckley on Palworld 1.0

Buckley explained that the survival crafting genre has become extremely popular on platforms like Steam, with many different games offering their own take on the formula. However, players often have their own idea of what the perfect survival crafting game should look like. The team behind Palworld believes the 1.0 version could come close to that vision by expanding and improving the entire game; “Palworld 1.0 will be that kind of something for everyone, lose yourself in this world, survival crafting game,” says Buckley.

While concrete details are still limited, Buckley suggested that players should expect major changes across the whole experience. He said the team has worked to expand every part of the game, including the early stages, the middle progression, and the endgame. According to him, the update will introduce a large amount of new content, especially for players who have already reached the later stages of the game.

Interestingly, players will not be forced to start over when the 1.0 update launches. Existing characters will still work, meaning players can continue from where they left off if they want. However, the developers are recommending that players consider starting fresh, since so many systems and parts of the game are being expanded or changed.

Buckley described the upcoming update as something that could surprise players, saying the team believes many fans will be shocked by what they have managed to add for the full release. While the exact features remain “still quite top secret” for now, the developers say they are aiming to deliver a version of Palworld that improves every stage of the game and offers something for both new and returning players.