Palworld CEO Rejects Acquisition: 'Never Allow It,' Says Communications Director

Last summer, Palworld developer Pocketpair signed a deal with Sony Music Entertainment to expand the Palworld universe beyond gaming through merchandise, music, and other products. This business agreement led some fans to mistakenly believe it signaled an impending acquisition, especially given earlier rumors that Pocketpair was in discussions with Microsoft about a potential buyout.

Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe later debunked the acquisition rumors, but the speculation persisted, fueled by Microsoft's acquisitions across the AA gaming industry and their interest in Japanese developers, as well as Sony's own acquisitions in response.

So, is a Pocketpair acquisition on the cards? The decision ultimately rests with Mizobe, but at the Game Developers Conference last month, communications director and publishing manager John ‘Bucky’ Buckley expressed strong doubts about the likelihood of such an event.

“Our CEO would never allow it,” Buckley stated firmly. “He likes doing his own thing and being his own boss. He doesn't like people telling him what to do.”

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 discussed the potential for Palworld to come to the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio’s response to the game being dubbed “Pokemon with guns”, and more in our interview. You can read the full discussion right here.