Last summer, Palworld developer Pocketpair entered into a strategic partnership with Sony Music Entertainment to develop merchandise, music, and other products inspired by Palworld. While the collaboration was purely aimed at expanding the game's brand beyond the digital space, some fans interpreted it as a hint toward a potential acquisition of Pocketpair.
This speculation was further fueled by earlier rumors suggesting that Pocketpair had been in discussions with Microsoft about a possible buyout. Although those acquisition rumors were later debunked by Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe, they sparked widespread interest and debate among the gaming community.
In recent years, Microsoft has made several high-profile acquisitions in the gaming industry, including numerous AA studios and Japanese developers, while Sony has responded with its own series of strategic purchases. Given this backdrop, many fans have continued to speculate whether Pocketpair might eventually be acquired.
However, during an interview at the Game Developers Conference last month, Pocketpair communications director and publishing manager John “Bucky” Buckley strongly dismissed the idea. When asked about the possibility of an acquisition, Buckley responded with clear conviction:
“Our CEO would never allow it. He'd never allow it. He likes doing his own thing and he likes being his own boss. He doesn't like people telling him what to do.”
Buckley reiterated the sentiment multiple times, emphasizing how unlikely such a move would be under Mizobe’s leadership. He added:
“So I would be shocked. Maybe when he's old, and he might just sell it off for money. And that would be sad, but in my lifetime, I probably won't see it. No, it'll be interesting to see where the two paths go. We, Pocketpair, are obviously only involved in where the game path is going. Palworld as an IP, we are involved, but it’s very much in the hands of Aniplex and Sony Music who are steering that ship right now. We are just offering our advice and thoughts as they take that.”
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Buckley and I also discussed the potential for Palworld on the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio’s perspective on the game being dubbed “Pokemon with guns,” and more. You can read the full interview here.
