Palworld’s latest update has added a new island – Sakurajima – along with a series of new Pals, enemies, and items. It’s the most sizeable update the game has received since being released in January 2024, and it has caused a surge in popularity, with player counts booming across all platforms.
Using Steam as a representative example, we can confirm that Palworld’s player count skyrocketed by more than 700%. It went from a peak concurrent count of around 15,000 users before the update to a peak of more than 130,000 once the update had dropped.
Former Glory
It might have seen a sudden surge in players, but Palworld likely won’t ever be restored to what it once was. In January, when the Palworld hype train was in full flow, the game peaked at 2.1 million concurrent players on Steam, putting it near the top of the leaderboard for the most-played game ever on the platform. It was an overnight sensation driven by the ‘Pokémon with guns’ trope that pulled so many users into it.
Things have gone relatively quiet for Palworld since then, but this latest update has stoked the embers a little.
According to Pocket Pair, the game’s developer, there’s plenty on the horizon. Coming later this year is an arena mode that’ll see players fight against other users, much like they would in a traditional Pokémon battle. Only, as it’s Palworld, it’ll be fused with assault rifles and grenades.
Are you returning to Palworld with this latest update?
For more Insider Gaming, read about the detailed mechanics in the Snake Eater remake, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive content
