Pocketpair Maintains Indie Status for Palworld Based on Creative Freedom and Self-Funding — PC gaming

Despite Palworld reaching 40 million players, developer Pocketpair insists it remains an indie studio. Head of Publishing John Buckley argues that true independence is defined by the absence of external investors and the retention of full creative control, rather than team size or revenue.

Although Palworld has attracted a massive player base of 40 million this year, its developer Pocketpair continues to identify as an independent studio. This stance comes amidst a broader industry debate regarding the increasingly blurred definition of what constitutes an indie game in the modern market. The question arises whether studios backed by major publishers or those that have rapidly expanded due to success still fit the traditional mold.

John 'Bucky' Buckley, Pocketpair's Head of Publishing and Communications, addressed this topic on X following a discussion sparked by comments from CEO Takuro Mizobe. While Mizobe acknowledged the studio might be approaching a "double-A" level in terms of size and success, he affirmed their commitment to operating as a true indie company. Buckley expanded on this by clarifying that Pocketpair considers itself indie specifically because it has zero outside investment or backing.

Buckley emphasized that both Palworld and the studio are entirely self-funded, noting that while their success might lead others to view them differently, many award-winning studios labeled as indie have actually received funding from larger entities. He argued against using employee headcount as a definitive metric for the label, suggesting instead that the core of independence lies in genuine creative freedom. According to Buckley, if an external entity exerts pressure or makes decisions for a studio, its independence becomes questionable.

The executive further stated that having a publisher or investor does not automatically disqualify a studio from being indie, provided there is no loss of creative control. He acknowledged that some may point to the studio's size or revenue as reasons to reject the label, but maintained that Pocketpair remains 100% self-owned with complete freedom to create the games they choose. Beyond their own development, the studio has even established a publishing arm to assist other indie titles like Windrose, Truckful, and Clicky Islands.

Ultimately, Buckley conceded that if others prefer to classify them as "triple-i" or "double-A," that is acceptable. He concluded that the label itself is secondary to the primary goal of continuing to make fun games.

Sources: PCGamesN.