Palworld is finally leaving early access - here's when

It's finally happening: Palworld is leaving early access on 10th July.

To mark the milestone, developer Pocketpair released a shiny cinematic teaser during Summer Game Fest – a first for the game – announcing: "Pal Tamers, the time has come! A strange energy is coming from the World Tree".

"Palworld's first-ever cinematic trailer debuted at Summer Game Fest alongside the release date you have been waiting for!" the developer teased. "Gather your Pals. Palpagos awaits!"

We already knew there was something funny going on with that tree, of course; back in early 2025, around the time of the game's first anniversary, Pocketpair community manager, John "Bucky" Buckley, told Eurogamer that the game's core mystery has "been mapped out for quite some time".

"The World Tree, where the 'ending' takes place, has been visible since day one," Bucky told us at the time. "Many players suspected their journey would end there, and we've been asked repeatedly about when the World Tree will become available so we're pretty excited to finally be opening the area up for players!"

Bucky also reflected candidly on the studio's challenges, too. Before the game was released, many dubbed it 'Pokémon with guns' due to the familiar designs of some Palworld creatures and some in-game mechanics. Nintendo announced it was suing Pocketpair for infringement of "multiple" patents back in September 2024, and it was later confirmed that the lawsuit is targeting three patents in particular. As part of an update in December, Pocketpair subsequently removed the ability to summon creatures by throwing Pokéball-style Pal Spheres.