Garena to Launch Palworld Online Mobile MMORPG This Year
The announcement marks a major expansion of the Palworld IP into the mobile MMORPG space, leveraging Garena's track record with Call of Duty Mobile and its live service expertise, while Pocketpair continues to face an ongoing patent infringement lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company over the original game's mechanics.
Key Facts
- Garena announced Palworld Online on August 3, 2026, as a mobile MMORPG based on Pocketpair's Palworld IP.
- Palworld Online is scheduled for release on iOS and Android within 2026.
- The game is being developed under an official license from Pocketpair and will feature a new story setting and original side stories.
- Garena's president, Terry Zhao, and Pocketpair's CEO, Takuro Mizobe, both commented on the collaboration.
- Palworld is currently involved in a patent infringement lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.
Reporting from 4 sources: Anime News Network, KAI-YOU, Automaton, Game Spark.
Garena announced on August 3 that it is developing Palworld Online, a mobile MMORPG based on Pocketpair's Palworld IP, with a release planned within 2026 for iOS and Android. The game is being made under an official license from Pocketpair and will rebuild the original survival crafting experience for smartphones, introducing a new story setting and original side stories alongside the core elements of capturing and raising Pals, exploration, and base management. As an MMORPG, Palworld Online features a seamless open world where players can form groups, build joint bases, engage in PvE and PvP content, challenge bosses in the open world, visit other players' bases, and search for rare Pals together. The mobile version optimizes the UI and controls for touch operations, supporting one-touch play across a range of device specifications. Garena's president, Terry Zhao, said the company aims to maintain the depth, immersion, and freedom of Palworld while delivering a mobile-optimized experience. Pocketpair's CEO, Takuro Mizobe, noted Garena's experience in global expansion, localization, and live service operations for mobile games. Palworld Online is scheduled for release on mobile in 2026, with further details on the service start date to be announced later.
Garena, the Singapore-based developer and publisher known for Call of Duty Mobile and Garena Free Fire, is handling the mobile adaptation of Palworld. The company's president, Terry Zhao, said the goal is to maintain the depth, immersion, and freedom of the original while optimizing for mobile. Pocketpair's CEO, Takuro Mizobe, highlighted Garena's experience in global expansion, localization, and live service operations.
Palworld Online retains the original's monster capture and breeding, survival crafting, and base management, but adds MMORPG elements such as cooperative play, PvP, and joint base building. Players can also challenge bosses in the open world and search for rare Pals together. The mobile version is designed for one-touch controls and comfortable play across a wide range of devices.
The announcement comes as Palworld continues to face a patent infringement lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Pocketpair previously confirmed that changes in the game with patches in November 2024 and later were due to the ongoing litigation. The original Palworld launched in early access in January 2024, sold over 15 million copies within a month, and reached full release on July 10, 2026.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 4 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.