Palworld was a true surprise hit when it launched in early 2024. With its colourful blend of monster-catching à la Pokémon and classic survival gameplay, it instantly won over two major communities. But what does the game look like two years on? Is it still as compelling as it was back then? Which updates and additions have arrived to make it even more fun? Today, we’re taking a closer look at Palworld and why 2026 is an especially good time to jump in. We’ll also explore Update 0.7 and the planned Version 1.0.
Palworld gameplay in 2026: Catch monsters, base-build, and survive
Like many other survival titles, Palworld focuses on familiar elements, but with the twist that you can also catch small monsters called Pals. These Pals don’t just lend the game its name—they give it a distinctive charm. Much like Pokémon, you can catch, train, and battle them, but also put them to other uses. This is where Palworld shifts into survival and shows how both aspects blend together seamlessly.
Catching and using Palworld Pals: Combat, work, breeding
Pals are wondrous creatures that call the world of Palworld home. You can track them down, capture them, and then put them to work for your own purposes. This goes far beyond regular battles—though those are, of course, an important part of the gameplay.
Pals are your friends and helpers, and they can support your survival. They can help you build bases, gather resources, tend fields, or even be harvested for their own resources. You’ll need to weigh up which Pals are best suited to which tasks. That’s part of the excitement—you never know which Pal will become your next best mate. There are over 150 Pals to discover across the island chain and all its biomes. Later on, you can also breed Pals, opening up even more possibilities.
Building a Palworld base and managing resources
No good survival game is complete without a building system. Palworld once again shows its unique approach, letting you put your Pals to work on different tasks. Gather various materials (or have them gathered for you) and use them to erect your first base. As you progress, you’ll unlock more materials, decorations, and building options.
There’s more: your Pals can also help you tend fields and farm. That should take care of your hunger. They can even work in factories to manufacture various items on an assembly line.
Surviving on the Palpagos Islands: Hunger, temperature, dangers
Even if the Palpagos Islands seem peaceful at first glance, you’ll eventually venture into increasingly challenging areas. There you’ll encounter new, powerful Pals that will attack not only your own Pals but you as the player as well. Basic conditions will also force you to adapt: hunger and temperature are two crucial factors that determine your survival. And sometimes, unfortunately, some Pals will have to be used for tastier meat and warm wool.
Exploring the Palworld map: Biomes, dungeons, NPCs, and mounts
As long as you’re managing your survival, exploring the vast map should be no problem. There is so much to discover—from different biomes and Pals to various NPCs who will greet you as both friends and foes.
The right Pals will be by your side, too. Some will help you soar through the skies, while others can carry you across water. There’s nothing to stop you from exploring the Palpagos Islands. You’ll find caves, dungeons, and abandoned sites, and you’ll come across all sorts of loot and new Pals.
Palworld multiplayer in 2026: Servers, settings, and PvP
Palworld is perfectly suited to playing with others. Simply rent a server and dive into the adventure together to find the best Pals and explore the Palpagos Islands. Thanks to numerous survival settings, you can tailor your server to your preferences. The focus is primarily co-op, but it seems the developer is also working on PvP.
Palworld Update 0.7 Home Sweet Home: Base-building, PvP, and new features
Since launch, Palworld has received five major updates, with the most recent—Home Sweet Home—arriving in December 2025 as Version 0.7. It focuses on making base-building better and more intuitive. There were also several additions that will interest both veterans and newcomers:
- Collaboration with ULTRAKILL for new weapons
- Base-building improvements, now including triangular pieces
- Colours for your base
- New raid arenas for more immersive battles
- Overhaul of the player’s melee combat system
- Experimental PvP for multiplayer
- Adjustments and balancing across various values
Palworld 2026 Version 1.0 outlook: Early Access, endgame, World Tree
Developer Pocketpair has announced that the official release of Palworld is finally due in 2026. The game is still in Early Access for now, but numerous updates and patches have already added new content and many fixes. That should solidify in 2026.
In general, the developers want to focus more on bug fixes and improving the existing game so the release goes as smoothly as possible. Major content-heavy updates are not expected in 2026, though we don’t yet know what surprises Pocketpair might be planning. Version 1.0, however, is set to bring plenty of new elements. What we do know is that it will focus on the endgame and give the game a fitting conclusion. The World Tree will also take centre stage.
Conclusion for Palworld 2026: Jump in now and get ready for 1.0
The future of Palworld looks rosy, and fans can expect plenty more updates and additions. That’s exactly why 2026 is the perfect time to get into the game and benefit from everything added so far. With incoming bug fixes and the upcoming 1.0 release, the year already looks well mapped out. We’ll keep you informed about all changes as they arrive.
If you want to play Palworld with friends right away, rent one of our servers for the game and get started together. With Version 0.7, you can now also play against each other, even if this feature is still in an experimental phase. Rent your own Palworld server now
