If you haven’t heard of the latest game that’s taken the world by storm, you need to get out from the rock you’ve been wedged under. Palworld, the companion-based, open-world, totally-not-Pokémon game, has been smashing records since its launch. It has just smashed another, selling 12 million copies on Steam and netting 7 million players on Xbox.
The game burst onto the scene as a viral sensation by selling over 5 million copies within three days of release. It also has the distinction of having the second-highest number of concurrent players in Steam history (1.85 million). According to Microsoft, the Pocketpair-developed game had the biggest launch for a third-party app on Xbox Game Pass. The game is also the most-played game on Game Pass, peaking at three million daily.
Palworld‘s popularity also extends to streaming platform Twitch. According to GamingGadgets.de the game accumulated over 27.8 million watch hours on the platform. Speaking on the game’s popularity, GamingGadgets.de‘s Nico Arnold said “Fans seem excited to see their favourite Pokémon-inspired elements in different gaming genres.”
The game’s popularity is not without controversy. It has also caught the attention of The Pokémon Company which said they “intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon”. It seems Nintendo may help Pocketpair, Inc. set a record for legal fees as well.