Last summer, Palworld developer Pocketpair inked a deal with Sony Music Entertainment to expand the Palworld universe beyond gaming into merchandise, music, and other products. This business agreement sparked speculation among fans, some of whom mistakenly believed it signaled an impending acquisition, particularly following earlier rumors that Pocketpair was in discussions with Microsoft about a potential buyout.
Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe later debunked these acquisition rumors, but the conversation around a potential buyout persisted. This was fueled by Microsoft's recent acquisitions across the AA gaming industry and their interest in Japanese developers, as well as Sony's counter-moves with their own acquisitions.
So, what about the future of Pocketpair? Will they ever be acquired? The decision ultimately rests with Mizobe, but according to communications director and publishing manager John 'Bucky' Buckley, the likelihood of Pocketpair being acquired is extremely slim. Speaking at the Game Developers Conference last month, Buckley was clear:
"Our CEO would never allow it," he stated emphatically. "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 elaborated on the possibility, suggesting that the only scenario where an acquisition might happen is if Mizobe, in his later years, decides to sell for financial reasons. However, he believes this is unlikely to happen in his lifetime. He added, "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 discussed the potential of Palworld coming 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.
