The Feybreak Update Is Drawing More Players for Palworld
Palworld holds the title of the third most-played game on Steam at launch, with 2.1 million players. Even after the initial buzz faded, it has kept a strong player base, impressive for a game that’s not technically “live.” This weekend, the game’s player count surged nearly 800% compared to recent months, reaching its highest numbers since its launch in March 2024.
The reason for this sudden change is the new Feybreak update. First revealed by Pocketpair at The Game Awards, one of the biggest gaming showcases, it launched just before Christmas. Now, on the first weekend after the holidays, the game has soared to 205,000 concurrent players. And it is climbing steadily, securing the #8 spot on Steam.
Feybreak is the biggest update the game has had, featuring an island six times larger than the last one. Along with that, there are 23 new Pals to collect, new buildings, gear, abilities, and intense boss fights. Predator Pals now roam the island, there’s a new mode for random Pal spawns. And for the first time, a hardcore mode with permadeath adds an extra challenge.
Palworld is facing a lawsuit from Nintendo, accusing it of patent infringement related to catching monsters with thrown balls. In response, Palworld has updated the game, replacing the Pal Spheres with “modules” for a new catching method that doesn’t conflict with Nintendo’s patents. Whether this resolves the issue remains to be seen.
The latest numbers, including console sales, show that Palworld still has a massive audience, even if it was never going to hit the surprising heights of its launch. The expansion has helped it surpass games like Apex Legends and Team Fortress 2, and it’s currently just behind the popular Marvel Rivals.