On October 20, 2026, Pocket Pair announced that it will release “Palworld: Side by Side,” a new update for the open-world monster-raising survival crafting game “Palworld,” in the winter of 2026.
Three Silhouettes Featured in the Teaser Visual
The released teaser visual features the “PALWORLD SIDE BY SIDE” logo and the text “Winter 2026,” along with three character silhouettes. These silhouettes are said to resemble “Zoe,” “Auri,” and “Saya,” who ranked in the top three in the character category of the recent popularity poll.
However, the official statement stops short of confirming that these three characters will appear in the update, and the specific details of the new update have not yet been revealed. The release date has only been announced as “Winter 2026,” and it is currently undecided whether the supported platforms will be the same as the existing ones.
Sekhmet took first place in the Pal category, while Zoe took first place in the Character category
The results of the “Palworld Global Popularity Poll 2026” were also announced. The poll was conducted in September 2026 and included over 280 Pals and in-game characters. According to Pocket Pair, the number of votes cast exceeded that of the previous poll.
In the Pal category, Sekmet took first place, Monoclona second, and Okocho third. In the Character category, Zoe took first place, Auri second, and Saya third.
The full rankings and rankings by language are available on the special website. You can check the results of the previous “Palworld Global Popularity Poll 2025” here.
New Developments About Three Months After the Official 1.0 Release
“Palworld” is an open-world survival crafting game with monster-raising mechanics and support for up to 32-player multiplayer, set in a world inhabited by mysterious creatures called “Pals.”The game is characterized by its free-form gameplay—catching, raising, battling, and putting Pals to work, and sometimes even selling them off—and has become a global hit since its Early Access launch in January 2024.
On July 10, 2026, the official version, “Palworld: 1.0,” was released, featuring a massive update that added new Pals, areas, and story content. In a past article on Game*Spark, our writers who played the official version discussed how the massive addition of new Pals has enriched the world and whether it’s worth starting over from scratch.
With a new update announced about three months after the official release, updates for “Palworld” look set to accelerate even further as we head into winter.
"Palworld" is currently available for PC (Steam), PS5, XBOX Series X|S, Xbox One, and Mac. It is also compatible with Game Pass.
