Like all overnight successes, Palworld's sudden emergence as 2024's first bona-fide viral hit has a much longer history. If you're wondering why this slightly jank Pokémon-aping survival sim suddenly took over every feed going, in the process racing to 7 million sales and counting, then the answer has a ton of elements to it: though maybe the "Pokémon with guns" tagline is a good place to begin.
Palworld was first announced in 2021 with a frankly absurd trailer that at the time went viral: and it was this trailer that first led to the game being dubbed "Pokémon with guns." So far, so internet-typical: the pitch was wild, everyone had a laugh at the trailer's more ridiculous elements, and then we moved onto the next thing.
