Since its release, Palworld has garnered unprecedented popularity, attracting approximately 1.3 million concurrent players on Steam during its first weekend. As of today (Jan. 22), Steam's official statistics revealed that Palworld achieved a peak of 1,291,967 concurrent players, surpassing the number of concurrent users of Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2, with 1 million and 740,000 players, respectively. 

This surge in popularity has also rewritten existing Steam records. According to Steam’s statistics, Palworld recorded 1,291,967 peak concurrent players, placing it in the fifth position after PUBG (3.25M), Counter-Strike (1.81M), Lost Ark (1.32M), and Dota 2 (1.29M). It surpassed Cyberpunk 2077, which had 1.05M peak concurrent players, marking Palworld as one of the six games to exceed 1 million concurrent players in a single day on Steam. This number of peak concurrent players Palworld reached surpasses major titles such as Elden Ring, New Worlds, Hogwarts Legacy, and Baldur’s Gate 3.

Palworld, known for its crafting survival genre with a Pal system that resembles Pokemon, gained attention even before its release. On the first day of its early access launch, it climbed to the top in popularity and reached the third position for maximum concurrent players, selling 2M copies in just 24 hours. Within 40 hours, 3M copies were sold, and it easily surpassed the 4M mark in just three days, securing the top spot in revenue on the Steam statistics chart.

Beyond mere sales, Palworld has maintained a consistent player base since its release. As of the 20th at 20:00, the game boasted a daily peak of 571,307 concurrent players, with real-time players consistently exceeding 500,000.

Palworld is a game with the strengths of multiple top-grossing games combined into one, showcased through the cuteness of its unique Pal creatures. However, the game diverges from typical creature-battling scenarios, featuring human players armed with guns hunting the adorable Pals. This distinctive approach has reached worldwide gamers like a splash — 93% of the near-38K user reviews on Steam rated the game positive or very positive. The game has also quickly become one of the most watched categories on Twitch, surpassing 200K viewers and 46K followers.

As the game development company Pocket Pair released more information about the game, anticipation grew, especially with the revelation that Pals, creatures inspired by Pokémon, would serve various functions in the game, including labor. Details about the game's survival elements, such as the use of Pals for food and labor, increased interest in how the actual gameplay would unfold.

Amidst these expectations, concerns arose that Palworld might be another disappointment that has money-making MMO elements or virtual currency. In response to these suspicions, the development team addressed concerns directly in a pre-launch FAQ, assuring players that the game is a one-time purchase “typical Steam game”, and that it “is not a scam”.