Two years after its explosive launch, the survival game Palworld (パルワールド) is back in the spotlight, and not just for good news. The official announcement of a physical collectible card game, "Palworld Official Card Game," set to drop this July, has ignited a firestorm of online debate and skepticism. Facing a barrage of criticism, Palworld designer and publishing manager John "Bucky" Buckley fired back with an uncharacteristically blunt message, stating that persistent attacks on the game "two years later, that's a you problem."
Buckley took to social media, expressing his excitement for the player anticipation and discussion around the card game, but also acknowledging the fierce backlash from some corners of the internet.
He explained that while he understood being a target for attention during the game's early access launch, two years on, the continued criticism left him wondering, "Maybe it's time to use that energy better and go play other games?"
The newly announced card game has inevitably drawn comparisons to the Pokémon series. Some fans are crying foul, suggesting Palworld is simply rehashing Pokémon's winning formula, while others question whether the dev team should be pouring resources into a spin-off instead of focusing on the main game, which is still technically in early access.
Buckley, however, doubled down, emphasizing that with today's vast gaming landscape, if players aren't feeling a particular title, they're free to move on to something else.
Meanwhile, developer Pocketpair also dropped a tidbit: Palworld's highly anticipated 1.0 full release is slated for sometime this year, meaning the game is finally exiting its early access phase. The official word also stresses that the card game's development won't impact the main game's progress.
via： GamesRadar+