Why Palworld Rejects Most Crossover Requests

Palworld has become a cultural phenomenon, blending creature-collecting with survival crafting and firearms. With that kind of success comes a flood of crossover requests from other games, brands, and IPs. But according to John "Bucky" Buckley, head of publishing and communications at developer Pocketpair, the vast majority of those pitches never make it past the idea stage.

"You guys simply do not realize the sheer number of collabs we've rejected or scrapped," Buckley said in a social media post, explaining that the studio says no to most proposals because they don't fit the game's identity .

Here's what Buckley revealed about how Pocketpair decides which crossovers to greenlight — and why so many get turned down.

The 'Fun-First' Collaboration Philosophy

The core principle driving every collaboration decision is simple: it must "make sense" for Palworld. Buckley explained that the studio prioritizes keeping Palworld's "fun-first" and "critters-with-guns" character intact, rejecting any collab that feels forced or out of place .

"If it really doesn't make sense then obviously we would never go ahead with it," Buckley said .

This philosophy extends beyond just aesthetic fit. Pocketpair has stated it has "no desire to be a media empire" and only pursues spinoffs or partnerships that respond to genuine fan demand rather than trying to maximize licensing revenue .

Which Games Made the Cut

While the list of rejected proposals remains private, Buckley confirmed three notable collaborations that Pocketpair felt fit the tone and audience of Palworld:

• Valheim
• Ultrakill
• Terraria

These partnerships shared a similar indie spirit, survival-crafting DNA, or a playful tone that aligned with Palworld's identity.

Why So Many Pitches Are Rejected

Buckley did not give an exact count of rejected proposals, but stressed that the number is far higher than fans realize. The studio receives a constant stream of collaboration requests and says no to most of them .

Most crossover proposals simply did not align with the game's identity or gameplay. Rather than chasing every licensing opportunity, the studio prioritizes keeping Palworld's core character intact, rejecting any collab that feels forced or out of place .

A Broader Publishing Philosophy

This careful curation mirrors Pocketpair's overall approach to game publishing. The studio launched Pocketpair Publishing in January 2025 with a mission to offer indie developers fairer deals — inspired by Buckley's own experience being "blown away" by the response to the new publishing arm, which received 150 pitches in its first week .

Notably, Pocketpair has also taken a firm stance on generative AI, stating it won't publish games that use the technology because the company simply "doesn't believe" in it .

In an earlier interview at GDC 2026, Buckley pushed back on the idea that Pocketpair is trying to turn Palworld into a massive media franchise. "It's more so that we're just kind of doing what our players are asking us to do," he said .

What This Means for Fans

For Palworld players hoping for more crossovers, the message is clear: Pocketpair will only pursue partnerships that feel authentic to the game's identity. While that means fewer collaborations overall, the ones that do happen are carefully chosen to enhance the experience rather than dilute it.

As Buckley put it, even when some fans criticized the Terraria collab for being more "fun-first" than lore-accurate, the studio stood by its approach. "I think the Terraria collab in Palworld was pretty great!" he said. "Completely understand some people would prefer a more lore-first approach but we've been very open about our fun-first approach since day one!"