Garena Announces Palworld Online, A New Mobile MMO Built With Pocketpair

Garena, the studio behind Free Fire, has officially announced Palworld Online, a new mobile game for iOS and Android developed under an official license from Pocketpair. The game is set to launch in 2026.

Credit: Garena

What Exactly Is Palworld Online?

Palworld Online is being described as a "large-scale" multiplayer survival game. It brings the core Palworld experience to phones, but with a fresh coat of paint and some new ideas layered on top.

Here's what the game will offer, according to Garena:

• A seamless shared open world

• A new original story and setting

• Co-op exploration with other players - Form groups, build shared settlements, and jump into both PvE and PvP content together

• Base building and survival mechanics - Collecting, raising, and battling alongside Pals

• MMO-style social features built specifically for mobile - A streamlined, touch-friendly interface with optional one-tap controls

So it's not just about catching creatures anymore. This version leans hard into the social and cooperative side of things, turning Palworld into something closer to a full-blown MMO.

Garena has plenty of experience running live service mobile games, and that experience is clearly the pitch here. Garena president Terry Zhao explained the thinking behind the project in a press release.

"Palworld is a widely recognized [intellectual property], and we see an opportunity to bring the essence of the PC title to mobile in a way that encourages players to connect and venture together," said Zhao. "Working closely with Pocketpair, we are focused on preserving the depth, immersion, and freedom that define Palworld, while thoughtfully optimising the experience for mobile play."

Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe also weighed in on the partnership, and he seems just as optimistic about it.

"Garena has extensive experience in global publishing, localization, and live operations for mobile games. We are pleased to work with Garena on the licensed development of Palworld Online and look forward to seeing a new Palworld experience brought to players worldwide," said Mizobe.

It's Not The Only Palworld Mobile Game In The Works

Here's where things get a bit crowded. Krafton, through PUBG Studios, has also been working on its own "Palworld Mobile" game for a while now. This version was showcased at G-STAR in Busan last November. Krafton previously stated it wants to "faithfully reinterpret and implement" the core elements of Palworld, though how different its version will be from Garena's remains unclear for now.

The Legal Cloud Still Hanging Over Palworld

None of this is happening in a vacuum. Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are still locked in a legal battle with Pocketpair in Japan, one that started back in September 2024 over alleged patent infringement tied to Palworld's capturing mechanics.

Pocketpair has already made changes to how Pals are summoned and how gliding works as a workaround. Analysts, including Florian Mueller of Games Fray, believe Nintendo has close to "zero chance" of getting an injunction against the current game. Even in a best-case scenario, potential damages are capped around 5 million yen, which is a small number compared to the cost of the lawsuit itself.

A key hearing is scheduled for October 1, 2026, with a ruling expected around November 9, 2026.

One of the most surprising twists in this saga was Nintendo’s attempt to patent a "touchscreen-based" capture mechanic. The Japan Patent Office rejected the application back in April, citing "prior art" from other games including a Pokémon fan project and ARK. Follow-up rejections on related applications came through in July as well. This attempt predates the Palworld Online announcement, but it shows Nintendo is keeping a close eye on how creature capturing mechanics translate to mobile, which could matter for titles like this one down the line.

For now, though, Palworld Online looks like one of the more ambitious mobile spinoffs in the pipeline, and fans will just have to wait and see how it stacks up against Krafton's version once more details drop.

Original Palworld is an open-world survival crafting game where players can collect 200+ unique creatures, build settlements, and dive into combat, farming, and factory management. Since its early access debut on Steam in January 2024, it has attracted over 40 million players worldwide. The game fully launched last month, drawing nearly 1 million concurrent players on Steam alone. Sales for the full release also appear strong, suggesting that many former players have returned while plenty of new players have jumped in as well.