The nominees for The Game Awards were announced earlier this week, and some fans of Palworld are not happy, lamenting the game’s absence from the nominations entirely.
Every year, the Game Awards invite discussions and debates about which games did or didn’t make the cut, even though, in many ways, the event often resembles a flashy advertisement showcase. This time, one glaring omission seems to be Palworld, the quirky game that blends Pokémon-like mechanics with firearms. Released in January, Palworld performed better than many anticipated, gaining a considerable following. Nonetheless, popularity doesn’t necessarily equate to quality, and this year, the game didn’t manage to secure even a single nomination, not even for categories like Best Ongoing Game. This snub left some fans claiming that the game was unfairly overlooked.
So, what does Palworld’s community manager think about this alleged snub? According to PC Gamer, it seems there’s no hard feelings. John Buckley, the game’s community manager, expressed on Twitter, “No, I don’t think Palworld was snubbed. Twitter has become such a banterless place. Stop being so over dramatic gamers. Not everything is a conspiracy.” While he highlights the dramatics often seen on Twitter, his words may not change much in the near future. However, Buckley did voice disappointment over another game: “That being said… Satisfactory was 1000% snubbed and I’ll be voicing that opinion ad nauseam at The Game Awards in person.” You go, Buckley!
Meanwhile, the team at Pocketpair, Palworld’s developer, seems to be dealing with more pressing matters. Back in September, Nintendo filed a lawsuit against Pocketpair over alleged patent infringement. This legal move wasn’t quite what most expected. Earlier this month, Pocketpair updated the community on the lawsuit, outlining the specific patents in question. The company also stated it intends to “continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings.”
As these situations unfold, the gaming community remains as vocal as ever, eagerly awaiting more updates and, perhaps, more surprises.
