How to play Palworld Early Access

Palworld is essentially a Pokémon game where the Pokémon run around with firearms. Imagine sweet and cuddly Pikachu whipping out a minigun: That’s Palworld in a nutshell—and our guide will show you how to get your hands on it courtesy of Early Access.

With such a wild premise, plenty of people want to experience Palworld firsthand sooner rather than later, and one of the best ways to do that is with Early Access.

Palworld is billed as a multiplayer game, so developer PocketPair needs to test its online servers and get the title up to scratch ahead of an eventual full release. Early Access is now available, so let’s get you stuck into Palworld so you can shoot ’em all.

Does Palworld have Early Access?

Yes, Palworld will enter Early Access on Steam on Jan. 19, 2024. However, there is no way to get the full version of the game at an earlier date—which means it is a different approach to other titles you may have got to play earlier.

Developer and publisher Pocketpair always planned to launch Palworld in Early Access. As its Steam listing puts it: “We believe that to create an exciting and completely new game, it is very important to keep fine-tuning it based on feedback from our players.”

In this situation, Early Access refers to the state of the game rather than an incentive for gamers to pre-order or purchase a version with additional benefits.

How to play Palworld Early Access on Steam

If you’re pumped to play with your pals in Palworld, then follow these simple instructions to get yourself immersed in this unique world when it launches:

1. Head to Steam.
2. Sign in.
3. Type “Palworld” into the search bar near the top-right corner.
4. Click on the game and scroll down to click on the option to add it to your cart.
5. Purchase it and then download it.

Palworld should now be in your library, and yes, Palworld is not free to play, so you’ll have to shell out some dollars.

How long will Palworld be in Early Access?

Pocketpair says Palworld‘s Early Access period should last for at least a year. So, the game won’t officially launch as a finished product until 2025 at the earliest. However, it could always decide to extend the period should the game require more development time.

What is included in Palworld Early Access?

According to Pocketpair, Early Access at least features “more than 100 monsters, a vast open world, over 350 items, and more than 70 types of buildings,” as well as core systems like monster battling and catching, exploration, crafting, and building. Pocketpair will no doubt add more content and features via updates throughout the Early Access period.
From the sound of it, multiplayer functionality is available from the start as well, but there will be no PvP options. Those are being saved for a later update.