Krafton signed a licensing agreement with Pocketpair to carry Palworld to mobile platforms.
The Korean company explained that the project will be supervised by PUBG: Battlegrounds developer PUBG Studios.
In a translated press releaseKrafton said it will “faithfully reinterpret and implement” the core elements of Palworld.
Palworld launched earlier this year for consoles and PC and has it has attracted over 25 million players.
The title has been compared to Pokemon for its inclusion of recruitable monsters (caught via a ball-throwing mechanic), but there are some key differences between the two franchises, including the fact Palworld adorable creatures can wield firearms.
Even so, the similarities have pricked up the ears of Nintendo and The Pokemon Company, which recently filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Pocketpair.
In responsePocketpair said it was “not aware of the specific patents” it allegedly infringed and described the situation as “truly unfortunate.”
Pocketpair remains eager to expand the franchise. Its partnership with Krafton was announced a few months after the Japanese company formed Palworld Entertainment in tandem with Sony Music and Aniplex to “develop new businesses associated with the hit game.”
“The joint venture will be responsible for developing the intellectual property scope and expansion of commercial activities, including global licensing and merchandising activities associated with Palworld, outside of interactive gaming,” reads a press release issued in July .
“[Our] efforts will begin with the development of exclusive products based on the game, which will debut and be sold at the Pocketpair booth during Bilibili World 2024.”
Krafton, meanwhile, will develop a mobile version of Palworld along with a sequel of Race to Hi-Fi.
The company, which recently acquired Tango Gamesworks from Microsofthas confirmed that it intends to create a sequel to the critically acclaimed rhythm adventure during a recent interview with Game Developer.