Palworld has achieved an impressive player milestone 2.5 years after its early access launch and with the 1.0 release right around the corner.

Developer Pocketpair said Palworld had passed 40 million players, with 1.0 set for July 10 (we’ve got the global release times for Palworld’s 1.0 launch if you want to know when you can play).

That 40 million figure doesn’t mean Palworld has sold 40 million copies. While it’s an undoubted sales success, particularly on Steam, Palworld is also available on console subscription services. It’s still on Game Pass, for example (Microsoft promoted the Palworld 1.0 launch as part of its July 2026 wave one Game Pass lineup announcement this week).

It’s been a rollercoaster Early Access period for Palworld since it launched in January 2024, breaking sales and concurrent player number records in the process. Pocketpair boss Takuro Mizobe has said Palworld’s launch was so big that the developer couldn’t handle the massive profits the game generated. Still, Pocketpair acted swiftly to capitalize on Palworld’s breakout success, signing a deal with Sony to form a new business called Palworld Entertainment that was tasked with expanding the IP. It later launched the game on PS5.

After Palworld’s huge launch, comparisons were made between Palworld’s Pals and Pokémon, with some accusing Pocketpair of “ripping off” Pokémon designs. But rather than file a copyright infringement lawsuit, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company went down the patent route. In the initial lawsuit, the two companies called for 5 million yen (approx $30,000) each plus late payment damages, as well as an injunction against Palworld that would block its release. A judgement is expected later this year.

In a social media post published today, Pocketpair thanked Palworld fans for sticking with the game. “Thank you all so much for your incredible support!” the Japanese studio said. “Over the last 2.5 years, Palworld has grown alongside our community.”

As for Palworld 1.0, John “Bucky” Buckley, head of publishing and communications at Pocketpair, has teased 27 pages of changes and additions for the patch notes. Bucky has also told existing Palworld players that they do not need to wipe their data for 1.0, “but you should.”

“Players can continue their existing saves if they wish, as we want to respect the time and effort you have put in,” Bucky explained in a Discord post. “However, due to the large number of changes to the game, including overhauls to mechanics and new content, we believe that starting a new character will give you the best experience of Palworld!

“We will leave that choice up to you, Pal Tamers!”

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.