The arrival of Palworld onto the gaming scene was a memorable one, as the game blew past player count records before quickly finding itself in a legal dispute with The Pokémon Company over potential infringements over their intellectual property (that still rumbles on).
Despite those controversies, the game continues to do well and it has built up a loyal and regular player base that regularly return to the game with each update. With the 1.0 version set to arrive in 2026, you wouldn't be outlandish in thinking that developer Pocketpair would be fully focused on that.
Not so, though, as they have now announced Palworld: Palfarm, a brand new cosy game that puts the games Pals into the farming and cosy life simulator genre for the first time.
In all fairness, the way they set up the original game does make a lot of sense when transferring it across to this new realm. Existing pals have specific jobs in the town (Anubis is the blacksmith etc.) and you'll be able to head over to each, have a chat and build up a relationship with them in order to unlock everything they have to offer.
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Whilst the Pals go about their usual jobs and employ, you'll be able to head off and do all of the things that you'd expect from a game in the genre, from farming to fishing to exploration.
In a statement from the developer, they broke down some of the major elements we can expect. "Each Pal will lend a hand in farm work by making use of their unique abilities. From sowing seeds and watering to harvesting, Pals make for reliable partners. Deepen your relationships with the island residents and Pals through daily conversation and gift-giving, and you may discover unexpected, special stories unfolding," they said.
"At times, you'll also need to defend your farm from some nasty Pals that come to wreak havoc. Head to the market, buy and sell crops or crafted goods, and sometimes even obtain rare items. Of course, multiplayer is also supported, so you can build your farm life together with friends."
The announcement comes shortly after a Nintendo Direct in which Pokémon announced their first attempt at a cosy life simulator in Pokémon Pokopia, which also allows players to take advantage of their Pokémon's powers as part of the daily rotation of jobs.
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Whether that will become a new point of contention is unclear, but the timing certainly won't help matters.
Palworld: Palfarm is yet to get a release date of any kind, but we do now it will arrive on PC via Steam in the first instance, before possibly heading over to other platforms later.