What does ‘Criminal activity underway’ mean in Palworld?

I’ll admit: The first time I saw Palworld’s “Criminal activity underway” warning pop-up, I got scared. I wasn’t doing anything illegal—or so I thought. Does invading a Wildlife Sanctuary and sniping all of its inhabitants count as illegal? … It does? Oh.

Regardless of whether you know you’re conducting criminal activity in Palworld, you’ll get a bounty on your head if you keep engaging in illegal activity. But if it’s your first time breaking the law, you may not fully understand the consequences of your actions—and more importantly, how you can prevent yourself from gaining the “Wanted” status in the first place.

Here’s everything you need to know about Palworld’s “Criminal activity underway” warning.

What is Palworld’s “Criminal activity underway” warning?

The “criminal activity underway” message pops up in Palworld if you do something wrong, but no other NPC sees it. If the latter happens, you’ll be labelled as “Wanted.” This warning is like a heads-up: if the game’s police, the PIDF, catch you when that message appears on your screen, you’ll become Wanted, and the police will chase you until they either kill you or you escape them. And they’re not exactly easy to escape, either, considering they’ll randomly spawn right next to you. Hope you brought a shield.

A common way to see the “criminal activity underway” message is by walking in a Wildlife Sanctuary. These places are off-limits for catching or harming Pals, and are watched by the PIDF. If you’re not seen by officers, you’re fine. But if they spot you, the message changes to “Trespassing,” and you become Wanted. You’ll know you’re caught when you see the “You’ve been spotted” alert.

How to avoid the “Criminal Activity Underway” warning and clear your Palworld wanted status

Palworld’s “criminal activity underway” warning is okay if you don’t get caught. To clear it, stop the wrong action and stay hidden from others until it disappears, which happens in five seconds or so after you stop the activity. If you’re in a place where you shouldn’t be, like a Wildlife Sanctuary, leave it. If you hurt a friendly character, don’t hurt anyone else. Then, the message will vanish without causing you trouble.

You also have the choice to accept the warning, do nothing, and simply avoid other NPCs and the police, which is mandatory if you want to catch rare pals like Lyleen and Grizzbolt in Wildlife Sanctuaries.

The following is a list of illegal activities in Palworld that will earn you the “criminal activity underway” warning:

• Poaching Pals from a Wildlife Sanctuary
• Attacking non-hostile NPCs
• Attempting to catch a human in a Pal Sphere

If your warning escalates into a Wanted status, your best bet will be to run away. Hide far enough from the in-game authorities, and the charge will disappear. You also have the option of saving your game, exiting to the main menu, and then loading back into your world if you can escape combat for long enough. There are a few other options when it comes to clearing your Palworld Wanted status, but running is often the most realistic one!

This article was updated on Sept. 26, 2024 with new information.