John Buckley, Head of Communications and Publishing at Pocketpair, stated that Steam Early Access is losing its original meaning. Some players purchase Early Access games as if they were regular finished products and directly treat the unfinished version as a complete work.
As Palworld approaches its 1.0 official release, Buckley discussed the development approach of releasing while continuously gathering feedback. He stated that Pocketpair generally still believes in the Early Access model and is likely to adopt it again for future large-scale projects.
Buckley recalled that in the early stages after transitioning from Steam Greenlight to Early Access, buyers were usually aware they were purchasing a game still in development. These players were willing to participate in the production process, submit feedback, and communicate with developers, but this awareness is no longer widespread today.
He believes that consumption habits from hyper-casual mobile games and live-service games are influencing the Steam community. Taking Palworld as an example, some players purchase the Early Access version, play intensively for one or two weeks, and then assume the game has stopped receiving updates due to the lack of new content in the short term, even though the development team still needs time to complete the work.
Buckley emphasized that it is not the players' fault for not caring about the development process; simply wanting to enjoy the game is equally valid. However, console players are generally unfamiliar with the concept of Early Access, and the team receives less feedback from them compared to PC players. Pocketpair currently clarifies update intervals in advance and distinguishes between content updates and those focused on improving the experience.
Regarding the Palworld 1.1 update, Buckley recently adjusted player expectations again: the game will continue to receive updates, but the next phase will not bring another massive overhaul. He had not previously ruled out the possibility of a "2.0" version, but also reminded players not to expect a decade of high-intensity support akin to No Man's Sky.
Pocketpair previously also released the survival game Craftopia in Early Access, which is now approaching its 1.0 version. Buckley stated that this model is not suitable for all projects and may be used by some teams as a means to bypass traditional financing and raise funds by releasing versions early; nevertheless, Pocketpair remains a staunch supporter of the Early Access model.