We have no desire to be a media empire, says Palworld publishing head

John 'Bucky' Buckley, Pocketpair's head of publishing and communications, said the company isn't trying to turn Palworld into a "media empire." He framed the game's fledgling spinoffs as responses to player demand.

Speaking at GDC 2026, Buckley pushed back on the notion that Pocketpair wants to make Palworld "this big, big, big, big, big, big thing," clarifying he did not mean expanding the property beyond what it already is.

"It's more so that we're just kind of doing what our players are asking us to do," he added, describing the company's actions as following community interest rather than pursuing a wider media presence.

palworld, pocketpair, john buckley, gdc 2026, spinoffs, player demand, media empire, publishing, community interest, communications