The Palworld universe is preparing to grow with several new projects, including a dating sim, a farming sim, and a massively multiplayer online game (MMO). However, developer and publisher Pocketpair has no plans to combine everything into one massive platform similar to Fortnite.

John “Bucky” Buckley, Pocketpair’s head of publishing and communications, explained that the studio wants to create games that reflect its own creative vision rather than follow a single business model.

“I can certainly understand why some people might expect us to take Palworld in that direction,” Buckley said. “But for us, we just want to make fun games in our own way. I know it sounds a bit cliché, but while we obviously want our games to be successful, maximizing revenue as quickly as possible isn’t what drives our creative decisions.”

Instead of turning Palworld into a platform filled with crossover events, microtransactions, and additional game modes, Pocketpair is exploring different ways to expand the franchise. The original monster-collecting game remains a standalone purchase, allowing players to enjoy its core experience without relying on a larger ecosystem of monetized content.

Pocketpair believes some ideas have more potential when developed as independent titles rather than being added to the original game as extra modes.

“When it comes to Palworld, we feel that some ideas would be better served as standalone games, where we can fully design the gameplay systems, pacing, and overall experience around that specific concept,” Buckley explained.

The upcoming farming game, Palfarm, illustrates this philosophy. Rather than introducing farming as another activity within Palworld, the studio wants to give the concept enough room to develop its own identity.

“Rather than trying to fit that experience into Palworld as just one mode, we believe making it a standalone title gives it more room to develop its own identity and become something special in its own right,” Buckley added.

He also emphasized that there is no universally correct approach to expanding a game franchise. Different projects and intellectual properties can benefit from different strategies, depending on the experiences developers want to create.

This approach could also help Palworld reach a wider audience. While some players may enjoy the original game's monster collecting and survival mechanics, others might be more interested in farming, relationships, or large-scale multiplayer adventures.

Pocketpair's decision to pursue standalone spin-offs also reflects the studio's independence. Despite Palworld's considerable success, the developer says it remains entirely self-owned and finances its own operations.

Buckley reiterated this point in a social media post, explaining that the game's popularity has changed how some people perceive the company.

“I understand that the astronomical success of Palworld has blurred the public’s perception of what Pocketpair actually is, but we are, in fact, still 100% self-owned and, more importantly, 100% self-funded,” he stated.

He concluded by highlighting the principle behind the studio's decisions: “So our entire decision-making process is still simply, ‘but is it fun?’”

Fortnite has demonstrated how a single platform can bring together different experiences, collaborations, and communities. Pocketpair, however, is pursuing a more varied approach by allowing Palworld's spin-offs to develop independently.

Giving each game its own identity could allow the franchise to experiment with different genres without forcing every idea into the same format. It also creates opportunities for players who might not be interested in the original game but would enjoy one of its spin-offs.

With a dating sim, a farming game, and an MMO in development, Palworld's future could involve several distinct experiences rather than one all-encompassing platform. For Pocketpair, the deciding factor remains whether each project can deliver something fun and worthwhile.