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

Last summer, Palworld developer Pocketpair entered into an exciting partnership with Sony Music Entertainment. This collaboration aims to expand the Palworld universe beyond gaming by producing merchandise, music, and other related products. While this deal sparked excitement, some fans mistakenly interpreted it as an indication of an impending acquisition, especially given earlier rumors that Pocketpair was in discussions with Microsoft for a buyout.

However, Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe quickly dispelled these acquisition rumors, confirming they were untrue at the time. Despite this, the speculation about Pocketpair's future continued, fueled by Microsoft's rapid acquisition of numerous AA studios and their apparent interest in Japanese developers, alongside Sony's own strategic acquisitions.

So, is an acquisition on the cards for Pocketpair? The decision ultimately rests with Mizobe, but according to communications director and publishing manager John 'Bucky' Buckley, the prospect seems highly unlikely. At the Game Developers Conference last month, Buckley shared his thoughts:

“Our CEO would never allow it,” he emphasized. “He'd never allow it. He'd never allow it. He would never, 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's stance was clear and firm. 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.”

In our interview, Buckley and I also delved into the potential of Palworld making its way to the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio's response to the game being dubbed “Pokemon with guns,” and more. You can dive into the full discussion here.