Beyond the Glitches: Pocketpair Commits to Fixing Palworld’s ‘Jank’ Ahead of 2026 1.0 Launch

It was the surprise hit that nobody saw coming. Palworld, the open-world survival game from Japanese developer Pocketpair, burst onto the scene in early 2024, selling over 12 million copies in its first six days and rocketing to a peak of over 2 million concurrent players on Steam. It was a massive success, but it was also a technical mess. The game, a controversial blend of monster-collecting and survival, was rife with bugs, glitches, and a general lack of polish that the gaming community affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) dubbed “jank.”

Now, over a year and a half into its Early Access journey, Pocketpair is making a significant shift. In a recent developer update, the studio announced its intention to focus on “cleaning up the game’s quirks and jank” as it pushes towards a full 1.0 release in 2026. This comes as the game’s legal battle with Nintendo continues to rumble on in the background, a testament to Pocketpair’s commitment to improving the game while simultaneously navigating a high-stakes lawsuit.

From ‘Pokémon With Guns’ to ‘Jank-Free’ Fun

The term “jank” in the gaming world is a broad and often humorous catch-all for a game’s technical imperfections. It can refer to anything from awkward character animations and strange physics to NPCs getting stuck in doorways and quests not functioning as intended. Palworld had it all. Despite the rough edges, players embraced the game’s core loop, which combined the creature-capturing and bonding of a certain Japanese franchise with the crafting, building, and base management of a typical survival game.

However, as the initial hype has subsided, the player count has settled, and the conversation has shifted from “what a wild ride” to “what’s next?” Pocketpair’s communications director, Bucky, addressed this directly in the recent video update. He acknowledged the community’s feedback, stating that “it’s no secret that Palworld has a lot of quirks and jank, and we want to take the time to properly address those before releasing the game.” This commitment marks a significant pivot for the studio, which has been primarily focused on adding new content, such as the recent Feybreak and Tides of Terraria updates, which introduced new islands, Pals, and mechanics.

This shift means that the rest of 2025 will be “a little quiet” on the new content front, with the focus now on a massive bug-fixing and optimization push. The upcoming winter update, for example, is expected to be smaller than previous ones, as the majority of the team’s efforts are being diverted to the “cleanup” necessary for a successful 1.0 launch. The goal is to ensure that when the game officially leaves Early Access in 2026, it’s a stable, polished, and smooth experience worthy of its 32 million-strong player base.

Pushing Past Controversy and Towards 1.0

The news of the 1.0 release and the focus on “jank” is particularly interesting given the ongoing legal troubles with Nintendo. Since Palworld‘s launch, the two companies have been locked in a high-profile patent infringement lawsuit in Japan. The case, which has been making headlines since late 2024, centers on Pocketpair’s alleged infringement of several of Nintendo’s patents related to monster capture, summoning, and riding mechanics. Pocketpair has consistently vowed to defend itself in court, but the legal pressure has already led to some “disappointing” changes, such as the removal of certain gliding and summoning mechanics to avoid further disruption.

Despite the legal cloud hanging over the project, Pocketpair appears undeterred. The announcement of a concrete 1.0 release window sends a clear message to players and the industry at large: development is not slowing down. In fact, it is scaling up. The studio is now working on multiple other projects, but Bucky stressed that “most of the company’s focus is on Palworld” and its journey to 1.0, which will include a “truly massive amount of content.” The final release is expected to feature the long-teased and long-awaited World Tree, an element that has been visible on the game’s horizon since its initial launch.

The story of Palworld is a fascinating case study in modern game development. It’s a tale of a small studio that created a smash hit, navigated a sea of controversy, and is now working to deliver on its promise to its millions of players. The 2026 1.0 release will be a monumental moment for the game, a chance for Pocketpair to move beyond the initial hype and criticism and prove that its game has the staying power and polish to be a long-term player in the survival genre. For now, players can rest assured that the developers are listening and that the road to a “jank-free” Palworld is officially underway.