Palworld features many uniquely designed Pals, but there’s one that even the development team didn’t expect to become such a massive hit. In an interview, John Buckley, Publishing and PR Lead at Pocketpair, revealed that three of the game’s initial Pals—Cattiva, Chikipi, and Lamball—were the ones players would encounter first when waking up on the beach.
While Buckley had high expectations for Lamball, he never anticipated that Cattiva would become the game’s iconic character.
Cattiva Could Have Been Lost in the Crowd
Buckley admits he didn’t think Cattiva would become popular—heck, he figured both Cattiva and Chikipi might gradually fade from players’ attention. Lamball’s cute design made popularity more predictable, but it was Cattiva’s pink cat face with that sly smile that unexpectedly captured players’ attention.
As it turned out, Chikipi really did fade into the background, while Cattiva became what Buckley calls the game’s “mascot.”
Regional Differences in Pal Popularity?
What’s even more interesting is that Buckley mentions Cattiva is especially popular in China—you can “see it everywhere.” He also points out that player preferences for Pals vary by region, and the development team can’t always predict which character will blow up.
Beyond Cattiva, another Pal that surprised the team is “Snock”—the snail/slug-like creature that players showed unexpected passion for.
Overlooked Designs Still Have a Chance!
This unexpected popularity has Buckley suggesting the team might want to look back at those shelved Pal designs. Pocketpair still has plenty of concepts that never made it into the game—who knows, maybe one of them hides the next breakout character.
After all, even the developers can’t predict what players will love. The Pal that was expected to “fade into the background” became the flagship. That’s probably the most unpredictable part of character popularity.