Palworld’s Not Dead — Dev Calls Out the Haters as Game Climbs Back Into Steam’s Top 10
- Sagar Mankar
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
It’s become something of a trend online to declare Palworld a “dead game,” but according to the latest numbers — and the team behind it — that narrative doesn’t hold water. Community manager and designer John “Bucky” Buckley has publicly responded to the ongoing criticism, pushing back against the idea that the game has lost its relevance. And judging by its current position on Steam’s top 10 most-played games, he has a point.
As of now, Palworld is sitting comfortably at over 65,000 concurrent players, with a 24-hour peak of 105,972, according to SteamDB. That’s a far cry from its record-shattering all-time peak of 2.1 million earlier this year — but these are still strong numbers, especially for a game that doesn’t follow a live-service model.
Buckley took to Twitter to address the backlash, tweeting (spotted by GamesRadar):
“I’m sure it'll be branded a 'dead game' for the 100th time a week from now, but it's nice to see Palworld consistently reach the top 10 every major update. A million thanks to you, gamers.”
His comment followed the successful launch of Palworld's Terraria crossover update (v0.6.0) on June 25, which clearly reignited player interest. The update added a unique dungeon inspired by Terraria, complete with themed equipment and a challenging new Moon Lord raid boss. It also introduced new mechanics like fishing, salvaging, expanded settlements, and a trust system that lets players bond with their Pals over time.
The update has done more than just bring content — it's brought momentum. As per the data on SteamDB, both the Terraria update and earlier Feybreak patch (in December 2024) resulted in significant spikes in the player base. These regular bursts of activity demonstrate that Palworld still commands attention when it drops meaningful content.
What makes this even more noteworthy is the kind of company Palworld keeps in Steam’s current top 10. Titles like Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and PUBG dominate the list — all massive multiplayer live-service games with long-term support and monetization. Palworld is a game that offers ongoing updates without relying on live-service structures or battle passes. That makes Palworld’s ability to stay competitive in this space all the more impressive.
Interestingly, this is only half of the collaboration story. While Palworld received Terraria content this month, Re-Logic is also planning to bring Pals into the world of Terraria at a later date — though no official timeline has been given. That two-way crossover could bring another wave of renewed attention when it lands.