Palworld CEO Rejects Acquisition: 'Never Allowed'

Last summer, Palworld developer Pocketpair signed a deal with Sony Music Entertainment to expand the Palworld universe beyond video games through merchandise, music, and other products. This business agreement sparked rumors among fans that it might signal an upcoming acquisition, particularly following earlier whispers that Pocketpair was in talks with Microsoft for a buyout. However, Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe later clarified that the acquisition rumors were unfounded, although they certainly stirred up conversation within the gaming community. Since then, speculation about Pocketpair's potential acquisition has continued, fueled by Microsoft's aggressive acquisition strategy in the AA gaming sector and their interest in Japanese developers, as well as Sony's own series of acquisitions.

So, will Pocketpair ever be acquired? The decision ultimately rests with Mizobe. At the recent Game Developers Conference, I had the chance to discuss this with Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, John 'Bucky' Buckley. He expressed strong doubts about the likelihood of an acquisition, stating emphatically, "Our CEO would never allow it. He'd never allow it. He would never, never allow it. He likes doing his own thing and he likes being his own boss. He doesn't like people telling him what to do."

Buckley elaborated further, suggesting that while Mizobe might consider selling the company later in life, such a scenario seems unlikely during Buckley's lifetime. He remarked, "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."

In our interview, Buckley and I also touched on the possibility of Palworld coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio's reaction to the game being dubbed "Pokemon with guns," and more. You can read the full discussion [ttpp]here[ttpp].