Over the last few years, quite a few Early Access survival games have captured the attention of gamers. New entries, like pirate survival RPG Windrose, continue to impress. And then, there’s Palworld. Since it arrived in Early Access back in January 2024, this survival creature collector has gotten its fair share of attention, good and bad. Despite its ongoing battle with Pokemon, Pocketpair is gearing up to turn Palworld into an IP empire, with plans for spin-offs already in the works. Now, it looks like that might include an MMO.
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On May 12th, reports of a new Palworld trademark began to emerge. As reported by Gematsu, it appears that Pocketpair recently trademarked “Palworld Online” in South Korea and the United States. Thus far, Pocketpair hasn’t revealed specific plans for this trademark. However, the developer has made previous statements about turning Palworld into a robust brand rather than a single game. This is already in the works with announced spin-offs like Palfarm, a mobile game, and comics. So, the Palworld Online trademark could be a sign of what’s to come.
New Palworld Trademark Could Point to Next Spin-Off
After over 2 years in Early Access, Pocketpair is gearing up to launch Palworld in 1.0 sometime this year. We still don’t have the exact date for the 1.0 launch, but all signs point to things still being on track for a 2026 release. Along with Palworld, Pocketpair is working on the life sim spin-off Palfarm, plus a mobile game. And with the trademark Palworld Online in place, there could well be another project in the works.
Often, the “online” tag directly in a title points to an MMO based on a popular IP. Take Elder Scrolls Online and The Lord of the Rings Online, for example. So my first thought in seeing this newly filed trademark was that Pocketpair is planning an MMORPG spin-off using Palworld as its foundation. However, that might not make as much sense for Palworld as it has for other big fantasy IPs that were centered on a single-player experience.
As it stands, Palworld already supports multiplayer even in Early Access. Gamers can enjoy the survival game solo or in co-op, with cross-platform multiplayer already supported. With that degree of multiplayer support in place, it’s hard to say how many players would be interested in a full-on Palworld MMO. Of course, there’s the potential of a free-to-play model, something many MMOs adopt. Palworld itself costs $29.99 in Early Access and may increase when it hits 1.0 later this year. So, an MMO or live service option called Palworld Online could offer up a different model using the Pals we already know and love.
Until Pocketpair announces anything, this trademark is just that – a trademark filed to secure ownership of the name and associated brand identity. It could well be related to the upcoming 1.0 launch of Palworld or to the mobile game, rather than a new project. But it’s certainly interesting to see Pocketpair continue to build its brand despite an ongoing feud with Nintendo over its similarities to Pokemon.
Would you play a Palworld MMO if they made one? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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