Palworld rejected a 'sheer number' of collabs — and here's why

Palworld's head of publishing and communications, John 'Bucky' Buckley, has revealed that the studio has turned down or scrapped a massive number of collaboration offers. The reason, he says, is that the proposed intellectual properties simply don't fit the spirit of the survival game.

"If it really doesn't make sense then obviously we would never go ahead with it," Buckley wrote in a social media post. "You guys simply do not realize the sheer number of collabs we've rejected or scrapped for that reason."

This stance sets Palworld apart in an industry where crossovers have become almost a mandatory marker of success. Instead of filling gaps with someone else's ideas, the team prefers to polish its own artistic vision. That said, there are exceptions: Buckley singled out the Terraria crossover as a great example. Its creatures and items, including the legendary Meowmere, blend seamlessly into the world of the Palpagos Islands.

"I think the Terraria collab in Palworld was pretty great," he added.

The approach suggests a more restrictive policy than the one seen in games like Fortnite, which embraces almost any partnership. For Palworld, the bar is clear: a collab must feel like it could have existed in the game all along. Anything less gets rejected, no matter how lucrative the offer might be.