'Palworld Online' has been trademarked, but there's hints of potential AI use

A part of me is surprised that Palworld still exists. With Nintendo's lawsuit still ongoing and the game having to change several of its core features as a result, I'm consistently shocked every time Pocketpair announces something new. First it was the Palworld TCG, which feels like a direct challenge to the monolithic Pokemon TCG. Now, it's trademarked 'Palworld Online,' which implies that there's potentially a new game in the works for the franchise. If nothing else, I respect Pocketpair's commitment.

Per the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Pocketpair filed the trademark on April 27, 2026, with its status currently marked as 'live.' The same trademark was filed in South Korea on April 24, as noted by Gematsu. Palworld Online, perhaps unsurprisingly, relates primarily to "recorded computer game programs and recorded game software," and the "rental of video game software." Nothing lifechanging there, then.

There are, however, some interesting bits and pieces here. First up is "toy design," which could imply that we'll be getting new figurines and other products. That may relate to the aforementioned TCG, too.

There's also a mention of "computer game cartridges." Now, the only console that currently uses the OG cartridge format system is, of course, the Nintendo Switch. I somehow doubt that we'll ever see Pocketpair's survival game make it onto the console, although Palland, a balatant Palworld ripoff did. So who knows; stranger things and all that.

Under IC042, however, there is the mention of "Artificial intelligence as a service (AIAAS) services featuring software using artificial intelligence (AI) for developing computer games." Now this could easily refer to NPC AI tools, but it could also hint at AI for asset creation. It's relatively unclear from the trademark filing itself, but I've reached out to Pocketpair for clarification.

A report from Tokyo Game Show organizer, The Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA), claims that 51% of Japanese developers are using AI technologies to both streamline development and create in-game content. Pocketpair is headquartered in Japan, which obviously isn't damning in itself. It may, however, be one of the companies that's at least exploring the tech.

As to what Palworld Online is? It may simply be the game's highly anticipated 1.0 release, which is set to drop sometime in 2026. It may, however, be an entirely new project; we'll just have to wait and see.

A part of me went 'MMO,' given that loads of them have 'Online' in the name (see Black Desert Online, Albion Online, and countless others). Palworld itself does have a massive open world already, though, so perhaps my hopes are dashed there. Either way, we'll just have to wait and see.