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

Last summer, Palworld developer Pocketpair entered into a significant partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, aimed at expanding the Palworld universe through merchandise, music, and other products. This collaboration, while purely a business agreement, sparked rumors among fans that it might signal an impending acquisition, particularly fueled by earlier rumors of talks between Pocketpair and Microsoft.

However, Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe swiftly dispelled these acquisition rumors, clarifying that no such deal was in the works at the time. Despite this, the conversation around a potential acquisition has continued to buzz, driven by Microsoft's aggressive acquisition strategy within the AA gaming sector and their interest in Japanese developers, as well as Sony's own strategic acquisitions.

The question remains: will Pocketpair ever be acquired? According to John 'Bucky' Buckley, Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, the likelihood of an acquisition is "very, very unlikely." During an interview at the Game Developers Conference, Buckley emphasized CEO Mizobe's strong preference for independence, stating, "Our CEO would 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 emphatic stance underscores Mizobe's dedication to maintaining autonomy over Pocketpair. He added that while Mizobe might consider selling the company in his later years for financial reasons, such a move would be disheartening. Buckley concluded, "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 addition to discussing potential acquisitions, Buckley and I explored various other topics in our interview, including the possibility of Palworld being released on the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio's response to the game being dubbed "Pokemon with guns," and more. You can delve into the full discussion by following this link.