Palworld CEO Rejects Acquisition: 'Never Allow It,' Says Communications Director

Last summer, Palworld developer Pocketpair signed a deal with Sony Music Entertainment to expand the Palworld universe into merchandise, music, and other products. While this business agreement aimed to broaden the franchise's reach beyond gaming, it sparked rumors among fans that an acquisition might be imminent, especially following earlier rumors that Pocketpair was in discussions with Microsoft about a potential buyout.

Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe later clarified that those acquisition rumors were unfounded, yet the speculation persisted. This was fueled by Microsoft's recent acquisitions across the AA gaming industry and their interest in Japanese developers, as well as Sony's responsive acquisition strategies.

The question remains: Will Pocketpair ever be acquired? The decision ultimately lies with Mizobe. At the Game Developers Conference last month, I discussed this with Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, John 'Bucky' Buckley, who firmly dismissed the likelihood of an acquisition.

"Our CEO would never allow it," Buckley stated emphatically. "He likes doing his own thing and being his own boss. He doesn't like people telling him what to do."

Buckley elaborated, "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."

Buckley and I also spoke about the potential of Palworld coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio's response to the game being dubbed "Pokemon with guns," and more. You can read the full discussion right here.