Last summer, Palworld developer Pocketpair signed a deal with Sony Music Entertainment to produce merchandise, music, and other products to expand the Palworld universe beyond gaming. This business agreement sparked confusion among fans, who mistakenly interpreted it as a precursor to an acquisition, especially following rumors earlier in the year that Pocketpair was in discussions with Microsoft about a potential buyout.

Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe later clarified that the acquisition rumors were unfounded, yet they ignited significant discussion. Speculation has continued, fueled by Microsoft's aggressive acquisitions across the AA gaming sector and their interest in Japanese developers, as well as Sony's own strategic acquisitions in response.

So, is an acquisition on the cards for Pocketpair? The decision ultimately lies with Mizobe. When I spoke to Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, John 'Bucky' Buckley, at the Game Developers Conference last month, he expressed strong skepticism about the likelihood of such an event.

“Our CEO would never allow it,” Buckley stated emphatically. “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 be released on the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio's response to the game being dubbed “Pokemon with guns”, and more. You can delve into our full conversation right here.