Palworld Dev Defends Early Access, and Honestly, He Has a Point
In a world full of Early Access dumpster fires, it's a weird choice to go after one of the few games that's actually doing it right.
Let me be clear: I am so fucking done with the "Early Access" grift. It's become a shield for developers to sell broken, half-finished games they have no intention of ever completing. So when I see criticism of the model, I'm usually the first one to grab a pitchfork.
But the recent backlash against Palworld for still being in Early Access feels completely misguided. After a journalist suggested they should "ditch the 'Early Access' gimmick," Pocketpair's global community manager, John "Bucky" Buckley, responded. And honestly, he's not wrong.
"We're Not Silly Enough to Think We Know Best"
Bucky's defense is simple and refreshingly honest. He pushed back on the idea that a game's popularity should have any bearing on its development status.
"Palworld is early access because we launched it early with the express purpose of gathering feedback to make the game even better," he wrote. "We're not silly enough to think we know best. Our players are constantly coming up with ideas and suggestions... and we'd be insane to ignore that".
This is what Early Access was supposed to be. A genuine collaboration between developers and players to build a better game.
The Ghost of Baldur's Gate 3
Bucky then brought out the big guns, pointing to other massive successes that used the exact same model. "Should we not have called Satisfactory, BG3, or Enshrouded early access simply because they were popular too?" he asked.
He's got a point. No one in their right mind would argue that Baldur's Gate 3's time in Early Access was a "gimmick." It was a crucial phase that allowed Larian to polish one of the greatest RPGs ever made based on millions of points of player feedback.
Why the Hell Are We Attacking Palworld?
I am so goddamn tired of Early Access scams. But of all the games to attack, why the fuck Palworld? Pocketpair has been communicative, they've pushed out massive updates based on player feedback, and they've been clear from day one that the game is a work-in-progress.
They're one of the few studios using the system exactly as it was intended. "Games only get better when the players are involved," Bucky concluded. He's right. So maybe we should aim our frustration at the endless parade of developers who abandon their games, not the one that's actually listening.