Palworld is finally getting ready to leave Early Access, with developer Pocketpair confirming that Palworld 1.0 will launch on 10 July 2026.
The monster-catching survival game first arrived in Early Access back in January 2024 and immediately became one of the biggest surprise hits of the year. It pulled in a massive number of players on Steam and Xbox, largely thanks to its mix of base building, open-world survival, creature collecting, and, yes, Pals with guns.
Since then, Pocketpair has continued to build on the game with new areas, extra Pals, bosses, raids, crossplay, quality-of-life updates, and plenty of fixes. Now, after more than two years in Early Access, Palworld is heading for its full release.
Palworld 1.0 Gets a July Release Date
Pocketpair confirmed the July release date during Summer Game Fest 2026, where it also showed off a new cinematic trailer for Palworld Version 1.0 and announced that Palworld 1.0 would launch on 10 July 2026.
Obviously, with Palworld 1.0 being a major milestone for the game, it’s expected to be the game’s biggest so far, adding new Pals, new regions, a new threat, and the long-awaited World Tree. That last one is especially interesting, as the World Tree has been visible in the distance since Palworld launched, but players have never been able to properly explore it.
Of course, Palworld’s full release also arrives while Pocketpair is still facing legal challenges via its dispute with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. For players, though, Version 1.0 is still moving ahead as planned.
Pocketpair has not revealed the full patch notes yet, so there are still plenty of details to come. However, the announcement makes it clear that Version 1.0 is not just a small update with a new label slapped on it. This looks like a proper full-release moment for Palworld.
Should You Start Over in Palworld 1.0?
The good news for existing players is that Palworld saves will not be wiped when Version 1.0 launches. So, if you have already spent hours building a base, catching rare Pals, or setting up the perfect production line, you should still be able to continue from your current world.
That said, Pocketpair has suggested that starting fresh may give players the best experience. That makes sense, especially for anyone who has not played Palworld since the early hype around launch.
The game has changed a lot since January 2024, and Version 1.0 will add even more on top. Starting again could be the cleanest way to see how much Palworld has grown, especially with new regions and the World Tree coming into play.
For new players, returning fans, and anyone who briefly tested the waters with the Early Access version, July could be the perfect time to give Palworld another go.
