In an astonishing feat, Palworld, a survival game developed by Japanese studio Pocketpair, has set a new record on Steam. The game, often described as "Pokemon with guns," has reached a peak of 1,262,087 concurrent players, surpassing the likes of Cyberpunk 2077 and Elden Ring.
#Palworld has the highest concurrent player count of any paid game in the history of Steam!
— Palworld (@Palworld_EN) January 21, 2024
We can't believe it!
Thank you SO much to everyone. We really can not thank you enough.
The team is hard at work making Palworld even better as we speak! #Pocketpair pic.twitter.com/tYHfHWLqM9
This achievement places Palworld as the fifth highest peak in Steam's history. Interestingly, the four games above it are currently free-to-play, making Palworld's achievement even more notable as a paid game. It's now closing in on Dota 2 and Lost Ark, with Counter-Strike 2 and PUBG: Battlegrounds holding the top spots.
Despite some controversy surrounding the game's character designs and their resemblance to Pokemon, Palworld's success is undeniable. The game, which was released into early access on PC and Xbox, has sold over 4 million copies since its release. This rapid rise in popularity is a testament to the game's unique appeal and the growing interest in survival games among the gaming community.
However, Palworld's journey hasn't been without its challenges. Social media users have pointed out the striking similarities between Palworld's creatures, known as Pals, and Pokemon. This has sparked discussions about originality and the use of generative AI tools in game development, a topic that Pocketpair has previously explored in their title 'AI: Art Imposter'.
Despite these controversies, Palworld's record-breaking performance on Steam is a significant milestone in the gaming industry. It highlights the ever-changing landscape of gaming preferences and the potential for innovative concepts to capture the attention of a vast audience.
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