Earlier this week, the list of nominees for The Game Awards was unveiled, and not all fans are pleased. Palworld enthusiasts, in particular, were disappointed that their favorite game didn’t snag a single nomination.
The Game Awards is at it again—it’s that annual spectacle where we get to see which games bask in the limelight and which ones are left out, despite the show’s tendency to feel like an elongated commercial. This year, one game noticeably absent from the nominations is Palworld. Released in January, this Pokemon-meets-guns game defied expectations, gaining more popularity than many anticipated. However, popularity doesn’t always translate to critical acclaim, as evidenced by Palworld’s complete omission from this year’s awards. It didn’t even make it into a category like Best Ongoing Game, leading some to feel the game got unfairly overlooked.
But what about the Palworld team’s take on this? Well, John Buckley, the community manager, shared his thoughts on Twitter, as picked up by PC Gamer. His reaction? “No, I don’t think Palworld was snubbed,” Buckley tweeted. “Twitter has become such a banterless place. Stop being so overdramatic, gamers. Not everything is a conspiracy.” He brings up a good point about the often-hyperbolic nature of gamers and discussions on Twitter. Yet, this single tweet probably won’t change those habits overnight. Buckley did voice one gripe, however: “That being said…Satisfactory was 1000% snubbed and I’ll be voicing that opinion ad nauseam at The Game Awards in person.” You tell them, Buckley!
In the grand scheme of things, it’s likely Pocketpair, the developer behind Palworld, has bigger issues than missed award nominations. Back in September, Nintendo filed a patent infringement lawsuit against them, a development few saw coming. Earlier this month, Pocketpair provided an update, alleging the specific patents supposedly infringed and asserting their plans to “continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings.”
So, all eyes are on Pocketpair as they navigate these challenges, awards or not.
