Pocketpair has responded to the overwhelmingly positive reception surrounding Palworld following its 1.0 launch, with the studio’s head of communications and publishing arguing that it has become “trendy and meta” to criticize the survival game.
John “Bucky” Buckley, who heads communications and publishing at Pocketpair, shared his thoughts on X after pointing out that Palworld had reached the top of Steam250’s list of the highest-rated games of 2026.
“Obviously it’s trendy and meta to shit on Palworld, but the facts speak for themselves,” Bucky wrote. “Raw massive and unparalleled sales aside…the player reception is nothing short of miraculous.”
He went on to thank Palworld players for supporting the game throughout its development, saying that the community is responsible for making the game what it is today.
Palworld Tops Steam250’s 2026 Rankings
According to Steam250’s current rankings, Palworld sits at No. 1 among the highest-rated Steam releases of 2026, with a score of 9.73. Valheim follows at No. 2 with 9.71, while Resident Evil Requiem and PRAGMATA occupy the third and fourth positions, respectively.
Steam250’s ranking combines the percentage of positive reviews with the number of reviews a game has received, meaning games with a small number of overwhelmingly positive reviews do not automatically dominate the list. However, the ranking can change as more reviews are submitted throughout the year.
Palworld also continues to hold an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on Steam. At the time of writing, more than 181,000 English-language reviews are positive, with 95% of the reviews in that category being positive.
The game’s 1.0 launch arrived on July 9, 2026, following more than two years in Early Access. Pocketpair’s full release added new areas, 72 Pals, new progression systems, and major changes to base building, multiplayer, graphics, and other aspects of the game.
Palworld’s 1.0 Launch Has Been a Major Milestone
Bucky’s comments come several years after Palworld first exploded onto the gaming scene. The game originally entered Early Access in January 2024 and quickly became one of Steam’s biggest releases, eventually reaching more than two million concurrent players.
The 1.0 release has now given Pocketpair’s survival game another major boost, with Palworld continuing to maintain a strong reception on Steam.
Bucky’s comments also appear to acknowledge the criticism that has followed the game since its original launch. Rather than addressing individual criticisms, however, he pointed toward the game’s sales and player reception as evidence of its continued popularity.
“Thank you to all the fans!” Bucky added. “The last few years have been a trip. Really…thank you!”
For Pocketpair, Palworld‘s journey is far from over. The studio continues to release updates following the 1.0 launch, with version 1.0.4 adding new missions and balance changes in September, followed by version 1.0.5 with additional bug fixes.