Palworld joins hands with free-to-play survival rival Once Human in new collab

Palworld is showing no signs of slowing down. Fresh off the announcement of farming-themed spinoff Palfarm, Pocketpair's signature critters are invading the world of one of its biggest survival rivals from 2024. The new Once Human collaboration event will bring together elements of both games, letting you control Pals for yourself on a special map that also features many of the Deviants and Deviations from Starry Studio's universe.

The Once Human Palworld event kicks off at the end of October, and takes place on a new island map that's exclusive to the event. It features "Palworld-style environments and a unique ecosystem where Meta-humans, Deviations, and Pals live in coexistence." You're able to transform into Pals, giving you an entirely fresh perspective on two of 2024's best survival games, and, based on the trailer below, it looks like we'll be able to test their strength against a range of Once Human bosses.

Among the Palworld Pals joining the event are Cattiva, Chillet, and Chillet Ignis, but Starry Studio teases that there will be some "mystery Pals" to keep your eyes peeled for. It notes that "all collaboration Pals can be obtained for free, allowing you to unleash your creativity without bounds." I'm also glad to see that their presence doesn't stop the best Once Human Deviants from showing up.

Unfortunately, there's currently nothing happening in the other direction. Palworld community manager John 'Bucky' Buckley confirms via the official Discord that "This is a one-way collab (Palworld to Once Human), so no Once Human content will be coming to Palworld." Perhaps that'll change in the future, but for now at least it's an excuse to check back in with the free Steam game and see what Starry Studio has been cooking of late.

The Palworld event in Once Human begins Thursday October 30. You can play for free on Steam. Check the latest Once Human system requirements if you're tempted to start.

Make sure you've taken advantage of the latest Once Human codes if you're planning to play this crossover. Or, for a different twist on the creature collector, here are the best Palworld mods in 2025.

If you had to survive as a Pal, which would you choose to be? Let us know in the PCGamesN community Discord server, where you can subject the staff and thousands of readers to your best (or most unhinged) reasoning.