Palworld Dev Fires Back: Who Cares if Only 5 Play

The "dead game" narrative is harmful to the gaming industry, according to Palworld developer Pocketpair. Palworld, often described as "Pokémon with guns," saw a record-breaking launch with over 2 million concurrent players on Steam, but numbers have since dwindled to the tens of thousands. The developers argue that obsessing over player counts is unhealthy and advocate for enjoying games regardless of their perceived popularity. This trend of labeling games as "dead" is fueled by the industry's focus on live service models and secrecy around game performance, making Steam concurrents the primary metric for success. The article draws parallels with other games previously labeled "dead," such as Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Helldivers 2, and Overwatch 2, emphasizing the need to shift away from live service games that aren't designed for long-term player retention.

Why do games like Palworld get labeled as "dead games"?

Games like Palworld get labeled as "dead games" due to a significant drop in concurrent player counts after their initial surge at launch. This decline often leads to the perception that the game is no longer popular or relevant, which can be misleading and detrimental to the community and developers alike.

Palworld is a multiplayer survival game developed by Pocketpair, blending elements of creature collection and firearms. Its unprecedented initial success is a testament to its unique concept and gameplay mechanics. However, the industry trend of categorizing games based on player counts overlooks the broader picture of a game's lifecycle and quality, often ignoring the dedicated, albeit smaller, communities that continue to thrive. Comparable examples include the revival stories of No Man's Sky, which transformed from a controversial release into a beloved game through substantial updates, and Rainbow Six Siege's journey from a rocky start to becoming one of the most prominent live service games.