Shortly after the release of a major update forPalworld, a new spinoff title has appeared on Steam, taking the form of a visual novel dating sim calledPalworld! ~More Than Just Pals~. Originally announced with a trailer on June 27, 2025, the dating sim has now reappeared exactly one year later with a new trailer and anofficial listing on Steam, despite expectations that the initial reveal was a joke for last year’s April Fools' Day.
Notably, althoughthe game’s Steam page and second trailer have appeared just one day before April 1, and could therefore be expected to be an affectionate parody of dating sims, Pocketpair communications director and publishing managerJohn “Bucky” Buckleyclarified on X thatthe game’s release “doesn’t concern April Fools.“Additionally, whereas the reveal trailer in 2024 promised the game for Jul 31, 2025, the newest trailer promises no release date, simply saying that the game is “in development.”
Where The Palworld Dating Sim Originated
The Palworld Dating Sim Was Originally An April Fools' Joke, But Might Now Be Real
Although the new trailer, the launch of the Steam page, and Buckley’s comments all point towards thePalworlddating sim getting a legitimate release, the original trailer in 2024 notably had a #AprilFoolsDay tag in its description that the new trailer notably lacks — suggesting thatthe idea was originally a joke and not intended for official release. Exactly what the original intent forMore Than Just Palswas is uncertain, but for now,Pocketpair does seem to be proceeding with developing an actual visual novel.
Palworld Confirms Crossplay Update Coming This Month
As Palworld continues to receive new content, it’s been confirmed that the game will be getting a new crossplay update later on in March.
Creating, or at least making trailers for, dating sim spinoff games is also a fairly common April Fools' joke at this point, with different franchises tackling their respective visual novels with varying degrees of earnestness.The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, for example, was released for free around April Fools' Day 2023, and similarly, a fakeValorantdating sim calledAgents of Romancewas teased by Riot Games in 2021 — althoughAgents of Romanceturned out to be fake, it did apparently inspire the creation of a fan game delivering on that same concept.
Our Take: Is The Palworld Dating Sim Real?
It Looks Like The Palworld Dating Sim Is Getting An Actual Release On Steam
While thePalworlddating sim could still prove to be fake, especially given its proximity to April Fools' Day 2025,an official Steam page does make it more likely that the game will actually existat some point. Exactly when the game might release, or how seriously it will take itself, is still in question. But from the initial trailers, the game does appear to lean more towards a parody of both well-known dating sim tropes andPalworlditself.
Palworld Could Come To Nintendo Switch 2 If The Console Is “Beefy Enough,” Says Developer
Details about Nintendo’s latest console are still unknown, but Pocketpair is open to bringing its hit game, Palworld, to the Switch 2 if possible.
WhenPalworldwas first revealed, it presented itself as aPokémonclone with guns. Needless to say, the game has never taken itself too seriously, so the release of an actual dating sim might not be too strange to some fans. For now, it remains to be seen exactly how substantial of an experience thePalworldspinoff will be or how it will be priced. But given that Pocketpair seems to be actively developing the game, it may prove to be a more complete experience than players might expect.
