‘Palworld’ by the numbers — and they're big numbers

Cannonball into a copyright grey area first, ask questions later, we guess.
 By 
Shannon Connellan
 on 
Three little hedgehog creatures charge with lightning around them.
Charge! Credit: Pocketpair

Palworld has seemingly come out of nowhere, cannonballing into Twitch feeds and Steam charts despite its extreme similarities to both Pokémon and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. But considering the game is still in early access release, it's doing some major numbers.

Developed by Japanese developer Pocketpair, the action-adventure, role-playing survival game dropped on Steam, Xbox, and Windows PC on Jan. 18 and has already sold over 5 million copies in a few days. As IGN points out, that's more than Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II, which sold 4 million copies in three days, Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man (3.3 million copies), and Sony's God of War reboot (3.1 million copies).

Palworld is a large open-world map that where you can build bases and "peacefully live alongside mysterious creatures known as Pals or risk your life to drive off a ruthless poaching syndicate." You can use the Pals to fight your battles, force them into labour roles, sell them, or eat them — it's really dark for how cute it all is.


You May Also Like

Palworld is currently the top played game on Steam, with a peak of 1.5 million concurrent players, and a total of 74 million hours banked — overtaking Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2. It's currently the third most played game on Steam behind the mighty PUBG: Battlegrounds and Counter-Strike 2.

Guess it pays to directly copy one of the biggest franchises of all time — though Pokémon fans, understandably, are beyond mad. Is something burning? Can I smell a lawsuit?

Topics Pokemon

A photo portrait of a journalist with blonde hair and a band t-shirt.
Shannon Connellan
UK Editor

Shannon Connellan is Mashable's UK Editor based in London, formerly Mashable's Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives in the Creel House. A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about entertainment, tech, social good, science, culture, and Australian horror.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Jimmy Kimmel has a blunt response to 'Melania' documentary box office numbers
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage. The caption reads, "Speaking of rigged outcomes, the 'Melania' documentary..."


25+ Amazon device deals live ahead of the Big Spring Sale: Echo, Fire TV, and more
Amazon devices with multicolor abstract background


35+ Amazon device deals in the Big Spring Sale: Echo, Fire TV, Kindle, and Blink
Amazon devices with multicolor abstract background

More in Entertainment
How to watch Chelsea vs. Port Vale online for free
Alejandro Garnacho of Chelsea reacts

How to watch 'Wuthering Heights' at home: Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi's controversial romance now streaming
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi embracing in still from "Wuthering Heights"

How to watch New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers online for free
Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders warms up

How to watch Mexico vs. Belgium online for free
Israel Reyes of Mexico reacts

How to watch Brazil vs. Croatia online for free
Vinicius Junior #10 of Brazil leaves

Trending on Mashable
Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.


NYT Strands hints, answers for April 3, 2026
A game being played on a smartphone.

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 2, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!