Last summer, Palworld developer Pocketpair signed a deal with Sony Music Entertainment to create merchandise, music, and other products centered around the Palworld universe. While the agreement was purely a strategic partnership aimed at expanding the franchise beyond gaming, many fans interpreted it as a potential signal of an acquisition. This speculation intensified due to rumors earlier in the year suggesting that Pocketpair was in discussions with Microsoft for a possible buyout.
At the time, those acquisition rumors were unfounded—confirmed later by Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe. Still, the buzz sparked widespread conversation. In recent years, Microsoft has made numerous high-profile acquisitions across the AA gaming sector and reportedly reached out to several Japanese studios, while Sony has responded with its own strategic purchases. This shifting landscape has kept fan speculation alive.
So, is Pocketpair likely to be acquired? While the final decision rests with Mizobe, during a recent conversation at the Game Developers Conference, communications director and publishing manager John ‘Bucky’ Buckley made it clear that such an outcome is highly improbable.
“Our CEO would never allow it,” he stated firmly. “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.”
That’s a definitive stance. Buckley elaborated:“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.”
Buckley and I also spoke about the possibility of Palworld coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio’s response to the game being dubbed “Pokemon with guns,” and much more in our full interview. You can read the complete discussion right here.
