PocketPair licenses Palworld to Garena and Krafton in parallel amid Nintendo litigation
Summary
PocketPair granted Garena a license for Palworld Online, an iOS/Android MMORPG targeting 2026 launch
Krafton's separate Palworld Mobile license ran a closed alpha in Q4 2025 - two concurrent mobile builds from one IP
Garena's build prioritises low-spec device reach; Krafton's is a "faithful reinterpretation" of the PC survival original
Both licenses proceed after the Japan Patent Office rejected Nintendo's monster-catching patent claim
"Garena has extensive experience in global publishing, localisation and live operations for mobile games."
01
Garena Palworld license: MMORPG format, emerging-market device reach
Free Fire publisher Garena holds the PocketPair license to develop and publish Palworld Online on iOS and Android
Format is a survival MMORPG with PvE, PvP, shared settlements, and cooperative group play - a shift from the original's solo-and-small-group loop
Garena is adding original story elements and side stories to "expand the narrative" rather than port the PC game
Touch-optimised controls and wide phone-spec compatibility position the title for Southeast Asia and emerging markets
02
Dual-licensing segments the mobile market by fidelity vs reach
Krafton's mandate is a "faithful reinterpretation" for PC-fan expectations; Garena's is an MMO built for casual mobile scale
PocketPair is using two publishers to hit distinct demographics without cannibalising either audience
The studio grew from ~20 to 90 staff over 4.5 years - outsourcing mobile reflects a capacity constraint, not just revenue-sharing
BD signal: PocketPair is willing to fragment mobile rights by format and region, not lock a single global partner
03
Nintendo patent overhang persists despite JPO rejection
Nintendo filed suit eight months after Palworld's January 2024 early-access launch
The Japan Patent Office rejected Nintendo's monster-catching patent, removing the most direct threat to the core loop
PocketPair has made gameplay changes to the base game during the dispute - the legal process is not fully resolved
Garena and Krafton carry residual licensing risk if Nintendo refiles in other jurisdictions
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