Palworld has officially left Early Access. On July 10, 2026 (around 12:30 PM JST / evening of July 9 in North America), developer Pocketpair released version 1.0 across PC (Steam and Microsoft Store), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and day-one on Xbox Game Pass.

This free update marks the end of a 2.5-year Early Access journey that began in January 2024 and turned the creature-collecting survival-crafting game into one of the biggest indie successes of the decade.

 

Record-Breaking Milestone Before Launch

Just days before the full release, Pocketpair announced that Palworld had surpassed 40 million players during Early Access. The studio released a special retrospective video thanking the community and confirmed that version 1.0 would be a completely free update for all existing owners.

Importantly, Pocketpair chose not to raise the price after 1.0, keeping the base game at $29.99 (with a 30% launch discount running on Steam through late July).

 

What’s New in Palworld 1.0

The 1.0 update is Pocketpair’s largest ever — with patch notes reportedly spanning 27–40 pages (so large they exceeded Steam’s character limit).

Key additions include:

72 new Pals (47 brand-new species + 25 variants) — bringing the total roster to 287

Two major new regions:

Sunreach — floating sky islands with new resources and challenges

World Tree — the long-teased endgame area (previously blocked)

Wing Pack traversal system — a glider equipped as gear (doesn’t take a party slot)

New progression systems: Awakening and Mutation for deeper Pal customization

Level cap raised from 65 to 80

Story overhaul with a reworked main questline

Over 200 Partner Skills reworked across the roster

Combat, Tower Boss, and AI improvements

New weapons, armor, gear, and building options (including offshore/aquatic bases)

Wave-based raid system and in-game voice chat

Performance optimizations and dedicated server improvements

Existing saves carry over with no forced wipe, but Pocketpair strongly recommends starting a fresh character to best experience the reworked progression, story pacing, and new content.

 

Strong Launch Reception

The 1.0 release has been a major success. In the days following launch, Palworld hit peaks of over 850,000 concurrent players on Steam — one of the highest figures the game has seen since its record Early Access debut (2.1 million peak).

Recent Steam reviews for the full version have been Very Positive, with many reports showing 93–96% positive ratings in the initial wave. Players praise the depth of new systems, expanded world, and how much more complete and polished the game feels.

Community manager John “Bucky” Buckley described the response as “staggering,” noting the team had high expectations but was still surprised by the numbers.

 

Should You Play Palworld 1.0?

New players — This is the perfect time to jump in. The game is now in its most complete and polished state.

Returning players — If you haven’t played since 2024 or early 2025, the changes are substantial enough that a fresh save is highly recommended.

Veterans — You can continue your existing world, but expect major shifts in balance, story, and endgame flow.

 

The Bottom Line

Palworld 1.0 successfully delivers on Pocketpair’s promise of a “deeper, more evolved, and definitive” experience. With a significantly expanded map, dozens of new Pals, meaningful new mechanics, and impressive post-launch momentum.

Available on: Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S / Xbox One, and Xbox Game Pass.