Catching Pals is something you’ll do very often in the game. It’s the only way to secure the Pals you want for your team or to put to work in your base. Pals are captured in so‑called Spheres. They come in different tiers—the better the Sphere, the higher your chances of a successful catch. Beyond that, several other factors can raise your capture rate. What isn’t too important early on turns into a dance with percentages later. All the conditions need to line up if you want that Pal in your hands. With our tips, you’ll hopefully bag Pals smoothly and put them to good use.
Crafting Palworld Spheres: Tech levels, materials, and where to find them
To catch Pals, you need Spheres. These magical balls absorb and store Pals. You should always carry some Spheres so you’re ready to capture. As your progress advances, you’ll unlock new recipes and craft better Spheres.
There are actually several sources for Spheres. First, you can of course craft them yourself once you have the recipe and the right ingredients. In general, they require Palladium Fragments, Wood, Stone, and later various metal ingots, Cement, and Carbon Fiber. Recipes become more expensive over time. You should have your Pals craft Spheres at the various Sphere Assembly Lines. While you can cobble together basic Spheres at the Workbench, you’ll need the appropriate assembly lines for later Spheres.
Spheres are also common chest loot. Depending on the region, you can find good Spheres fairly early. You can obtain them from fishing or salvaging, and you can buy them from a merchant. Expeditions also yield plenty of Spheres.
The best way to produce Spheres regularly is the Pal Vixy working at the Ranch. That little fox can dig up Spheres for you there. Depending on its level, you can even get high‑tier Spheres. In multiplayer this really pays off if you need lots of Spheres. Want to get started fast? Then rent your own Palworld server now and let Vixy auto‑collect Spheres: rent your own Palworld server.
You can unlock these Spheres as you play:
- Pal Spheres (Tech level 2)
- Mega Spheres (Tech level 14)
- Giga Spheres (Tech level 20)
- Tera Spheres (Tech level 27)
- Ultra Spheres (Tech level 35)
- Legendary Spheres (Tech level 44)
- Ultimate Spheres (Tech level 51)
- Exotic Spheres (Tech level 56)
Each Sphere upgrade is recommended for catching Pals at the corresponding level. For example, if you encounter a level 20 Pal, you should switch to a Giga Sphere. In most cases, unlock the matching Sphere in your tech tree as soon as it becomes available. That way you’re always prepared for new areas and new Pals.
Palworld Sphere Modules: Targeted ways to increase your capture rate
You can raise your capture rate not only with better Spheres but also with Modules. You can select these handy add‑ons in your inventory at the bottom right to further boost your capture performance. They’re crafted similarly to Spheres, as you can only produce them at assembly lines. Their materials are also similar, including Palladium Fragments, Stone, and various metal ingots. Additionally, you need Ancient Parts. Modules cannot be found as loot.
In general, it’s worth swapping the module as you level up. You can have only one module active at a time. Their benefits are not linear but depend on the type of module, so keep them and use different ones for different situations.
Like Spheres, you unlock modules via the tech tree:
- Weight Module (Tech level 11): Reduces range, increases Capture Power by +1.
- Curve Module (Tech level 23): Sphere flies in a curve; capture rate +2.
- Sniper Module (Tech level 31): Higher range, more accurate throws, capture rate +2.
- Spin Module (Tech level 39): Sudden direction changes surprise Pals; capture rate +3.
- Sniper Module No. 2 (Tech level 47): Even greater range than version 1, Capture Power +3, improved accuracy.
- Homing Module (Tech level 57): Spheres home in on the Pal; capture rate +3.
Tips for catching Pals in Palworld: Combat, back hits, and Lifmunk Effigies
Your gear is crucial, but there are other tricks to improve your odds. Pals are very dynamic when you meet them in the wild, and you can adjust your capture rate accordingly.
In combat, keep the following in mind:
- Try to reduce the Pal’s HP as much as possible. The lower the HP, the higher the capture rate.
- You can also apply temporary status effects to weaken the Pal and make it easier to catch. We have a complete guide to all effects (Palworld status effects: All elements and effects explained) . The best ones are Burn, Freeze, Poison, and Shock.
- If you throw a Sphere at a Pal’s back, your capture rate increases automatically. We recommend always trying to hit the Pal from behind for a few extra percentage points.
Finally, you can raise your capture chance via the Statue of Power. It doesn’t just consume your Pal Souls to empower Pals—you can also use it to upgrade your Capture Power. To do so, you must find Lifmunk Effigies, of which there are 600 across Palpagos Island. You can gain 14 levels in total and you’ll need 353 Effigies for that. So hunt down the green statues and offer them at the Statue of Power for more Capture Power.
Conclusion: With the right setup, you’ll catch any Pal in no time
In Palworld you’ll spend the whole game catching Pals, so it’s worth learning how to improve your odds. Choose the right Spheres and always use the best version available. The higher a Pal’s level, the more important it is to upgrade your gear. Add Sphere Modules to further increase your capture rate. Your behavior on the field also matters: weaken the Pal, apply status effects, and land back hits to push those percentages in your favor.
