Pocket Pair has announced a new, exciting feature coming to Palworld later this year: the Pal Arena. In a short teaser trailer, a team of three Pals and their trainer face off against another team in an all-out battle. This footage isn't anything like a turn-based Pokemon battle; the Pal trainers are armed with weapons and able to target both Pals and the other player as chaotic attacks erupt around them. The Pal Arena is one of many anticipated updates to renew interest in Palworld in 2024.

This new PvP mode was announced at the very first annual Triple-i initiative, an event meant to showcase indie games like The Rogue Prince of Persia, Let's School, and Palworld. Originally, the 16-second trailer featured a typo, saying that the Pal Arena would be released in summer 2024. Players can expect to enter the arena sometime in 2024, but this update is not guaranteed to be released in the summer. Pocket Pair stated via X that there is plenty to be excited about this summer, however, with "a new island with a new species of Pals, new buildings, weapons, and more."

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Pals vs Pals, Players vs Players

The teaser trailer for the Pal Arena is brief and to the point: players and their Pals will battle other players and their Pals. The fights are very similar to the Tower Battles that have served as Palworld's boss fights thus far. While Pals unleash their powers, like Quivern's Grass Tornado, players can run, dive, and shoot the other player with their weapon of choice. Before this PvP mode is released, there are likely to be a few tweaks to Palworld to prepare for this brand-new way of battling.

Other Future Palworld Features

  • PvP Raid Bosses (End-Game Content)
  • Steam-Xbox Crossplay
  • Various Xbox Feature Improvements
  • Server Transfers and Migrations
  • Improvements to the Building System
  • New islands, Pals, Bosses, and Technologies

The Pal Arena Meta

As there is with any game that involves fighting, a meta is sure to develop. This means that some Pals will be much more suited to the Arena than others. In the trailer, one team featured a Relaxaurus, a Grizzbolt, and an Anubis.

The other team had an Incineram Noct, a seemingly new type of green Quivern, and the newly released Pal Bellanoir Libero. When the Arena is open, it is unlikely that little Pals like Hoocrates or Chikipi will do well in battle. Some Pals are more suited to stay at the base (or be farmed for resources). Others, like the grinning Grizzbolt, will develop into fan-favorite picks for the new PvP mode.

Buffs and Nerfs

Players can expect certain Pals, like those featured in the teaser trailer, to receive buffs and/or nerfs in order to balance the PvP mode. If one Pal is found to be overwhelmingly powerful, then it is likely to be given a nerf as a check on its powers. Similarly, if a Pal is found to be too easily defeated in the Arena, it might get a boost in its powers from the developers to make it more prepared for battle.

This will greatly depend on trial and error; it will be on players to suss out which Pals are the best allies to have in the Pal Arena. It's possible that the new Ability Glasses which allow players to see the stats of Pals in-game, will come in handy with finding which Pals are ready for the Arena.

Ability Glasses can be crafted by players starting at Level 34. After unlocking the schematic with four Technology Points, players will need 30 Refined Ingots, 20 Paldium Fragments, 10 Ancient Civilization Parts, and 5 Ancient Civilization Cores to craft the Ability Glasses.

Matchmaking

As it is now, Pocket Pair has not released much information about the Pal Arena, leaving players to wonder how exactly the Pal Arena will work. It is unknown as yet if players will only be able to battle their friends who have joined their world, or if there will be an online matchmaking system that allows players to fight other, random combatants. Xbox-Steam crossplay is meant to come to Palworld eventually, after all. After the announcement on X, fans speculated about the possibilities: ranking systems, a split-screen mode, spectating, Arena-exclusive weapons, and more.

Until Pocket Pair says otherwise, the possibilities are endless when it comes to the Pal Arena. Considering that the developers were quick to clarify the release window of this PvP mode, players can expect the Pal Arena to open after the big summer update rather than before. The Pal Arena PvP mode delivers on one of the many promises Pocket Pair has made regarding the full release of Palworld. Releasing it now, during early access, means that players will be able to work out any issues with this highly anticipated PvP mode before Palworld enjoys a full release.