Bilawal Bashir 
Palworld took to X to announce a major partnership with Sony that will seemingly turn the game into a true contender to Pokemon.
Palworld was simultaneously released on Xbox Series X/S and PC and immediately shot to nearly unparalleled popularity on both platforms. The game posted big numbers in its launch period, reaching millions of players on PC and Xbox. PlayStation consoles still haven’t seen a Palworld release but that hasn’t stopped Sony from hitching its wagon to the fledgling series.
Pocketpair announced that it has partnered with Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The goal is to transform Palworld into a proper cross-media IP, akin to Pokemon.
Palworld teams up with Sony for “multifaceted global development”
Palworld is partnered with Sony Music Entertainment Japan and its subsidiary, Aniplex.
The move comes after Palworld bled much of its player base. Though the game peaked at over 2 million players on Steam after its January 2024 launch, by May its peak player count was below 45,000, per Steam Charts. Its peak player count jumped in June 2024 after a free content update.
The partnership with SMEJ and Aniplex suggests that the two sides intend to make Palworld into a cross-media IP. This could result in numerous new projects including more platforms for the game and potentially an anime.
Will there be a Palworld anime?
Palworld’s partnership with Sony and Aniplex, a primarily anime-focused company, indicates that a Palworld anime might be coming.
Aniplex is the media company behind a long list of popular anime including FullMetal Alchemist, Sword Art Online, and Demon Slayer. It is also part of Sony Group, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Few details were given on what this will entail, but the partnership will begin with the release of Palworld merchandise through Aniplex.
Sony already has a large animation division with Sony Pictures Animation, Imageworks, and CloverWorks under its wings. With Palworld, Sony would also have a direct Pokemon competitor in anime, merchandise, and possibly video games.
Alongside anime, Aniplex also publishes video games. This includes adaptations of its anime series as well as games like Melty Blood and RPG Time: The Legend of Wright.
Will Palworld come to PlayStation?
There is still no sign of Palworld coming to PlayStation consoles.
Branches inside the Sony conglomerate work independently and separately with little access to each other’s technology or IPs. Sony Pictures, Sony Music, Sony Mobile, and Sony Interactive Entertainment are different companies under the same Sony umbrella.
Palworld is currently teaming up with Sony Music Japan, so it remains to be seen whether the partnership extends to video games. Sony Music is not new to video game collaborations either; they teamed with Game Freak in 1991 to make Smart Ball for the SNES.
There is no sign that this will increase Palworld’s chances of coming to PlayStation consoles. It’s also unclear whether Pocketpair has any form of exclusivity with Xbox that could prevent this.
