Palworld was a true surprise hit when it launched in early 2024. With its colorful blend of monster-catching à la Pokémon and classic survival gameplay, it won over two major communities at once. But what does the game look like two years later? Is it still as compelling as it was back then? Which updates and additions have brought even more fun? Today we take a closer look at Palworld and why 2026 is an especially good time to jump in. We’ll also examine Update 0.7 and the planned Version 1.0.
Palworld Gameplay 2026: Catch Monsters, Base Building, and Survival
Like many survival titles, Palworld focuses on familiar pillars—only with the twist that you can also catch small monsters called Pals. These Pals don’t just lend the game its name; they also define its unique charm. Much like Pokémon, you can catch, train, and battle them, but you can also put them to other uses. This is where Palworld leans into survival and shows how both aspects mesh perfectly.
Catch and Use Pals: Combat, Work, Breeding
Pals are wondrous creatures that call the world of Palworld their home. You can track them down, capture them, and use them for your own purposes. This goes far beyond standard battles, though combat is of course a key part of the gameplay.
Pals are both friends and helpers, and they can also support your survival. They can help you build bases, gather resources, tend fields, or even be culled for their resources. You’ll need to weigh which Pals are best suited to which tasks. That’s part of the excitement—you never know which Pal will become your next indispensable companion. There are over 150 Pals to find, scattered across the entire archipelago and all biomes. Later, you can also breed Pals, which opens up even more possibilities.
Build a Base and Manage Resources
No survival game is complete without building, and Palworld shows its uniqueness in how you can assign Pals to different jobs. Collect various materials (or have them collected) and use them to set up your first base. As you progress, unlock more materials, decorations, and options.
You can go further still: Pals can help you cultivate fields and run your farm, keeping hunger at bay. They can also work in factories to mass-produce different items on an assembly line.
Survival on the Palpagos Islands: Hunger, Temperature, Hazards
Even if the Palpagos Islands look peaceful at first glance, you’ll eventually venture into increasingly dangerous regions. There you’ll encounter new, powerful Pals that will attack not just your Pals, but you as the player as well. Basic needs also force you to think differently: hunger and temperature are two crucial factors that determine whether you make it. And sometimes, unfortunately, a few Pals will have to provide tasty meat and warm wool.
Explore the Map: Biomes, Dungeons, NPCs, and Mounts
As long as you take care of your basic needs, exploring the large map shouldn’t be a problem. There’s so much to discover, from new biomes and Pals to NPCs who might be friendly—or hostile.
The right Pals will be at your side here, too. Some help you glide through the skies, while others carry you across water. Nothing stands in the way of exploring the Palpagos Islands. You’ll find caves, dungeons, and abandoned sites, along with plenty of loot and new Pals.
Palworld Multiplayer 2026: Servers, Settings, and PvP
Palworld is perfect to play together. Simply rent a server and dive into the adventure with others to find the best Pals and explore the Palpagos Islands. Thanks to extensive survival settings, you can tailor your server to your preferences. You’ll primarily play co-op, but it appears the developers are also working on PvP.
Palworld Update 0.7 Home Sweet Home: Base Building, PvP, and New Features
Since release, Palworld has received five major updates, and the most recent—Home Sweet Home—arrived in December 2025 as Version 0.7. It focuses on making base building better and more intuitive. There are also several additions that should interest both returning and new players:
- Collaboration with ULTRAKILL for new weapons
- Base building improvements, now with triangular pieces
- Colors for your base
- New raid arenas for more immersive battles
- Overhaul of the player melee combat system
- Experimental PvP for multiplayer
- Various balance changes and tuning
Palworld 2026 1.0 Release Outlook: Early Access, Endgame, World Tree
Developers Pocketpair have announced that the official release of Palworld is planned for 2026. The game is still in Early Access, but numerous updates and patches have already added content and fixes. That should be finalized in 2026.
Overall, the team aims to focus more on bug fixes and polishing the existing game to make the release as smooth as possible. Major content-heavy updates aren’t expected in 2026, though it’s hard to predict what surprises Pocketpair may have in store. Version 1.0 is set to bring many new elements. What we know so far is that it will center on the endgame, giving the game a proper conclusion. The World Tree is also expected to take center stage.
Conclusion Palworld 2026: Jump In Now and Prepare for 1.0
The future of Palworld looks bright, and fans can expect many more updates and improvements. That’s exactly why 2026 is the perfect time to start playing and benefit from everything released so far. With upcoming bug fixes and the imminent 1.0 release, the year already looks well planned. We’ll keep you updated as soon as new changes arrive.
If you want to play Palworld with friends right away, rent one of our servers for the game and dive in together. With Version 0.7, you can now even face off against each other, although this feature is still in its experimental phase. Rent your own Palworld server now
