Shortly after the release of a major update for Palworld, a new spinoff title has appeared on Steam, taking the form of a visual novel dating sim called Palworld! ~More Than Just Pals~. Originally announced with a trailer on March 31, 2024, the dating sim has now reappeared exactly one year later with a new trailer and an official listing on Steam, despite expectations that the initial reveal was a joke for last year's April Fools' Day.

Notably, although the game's Steam page and second trailer have appeared just one day before April 1, and could therefore be expected to be an affectionate parody of dating sims, Pocketpair communications director and publishing manager John "Bucky" Buckley clarified on X that the game's release "doesn't concern April Fools." Additionally, whereas the reveal trailer in 2024 promised the game for April 1, 2025, the newest trailer promises no release date, simply saying that the game is "in development."

Where The Palworld Dating Sim Originated

The Palworld Dating Sim Was Originally An April Fools' Joke, But Might Now Be Real

Although the new trailer, the launch of the Steam page, and Buckley's comments all point towards the Palworld dating sim getting a legitimate release, the original trailer in 2024 notably had a #AprilFoolsDay tag in its description that the new trailer notably lacks — suggesting that the idea was originally a joke and not intended for official release. Exactly what the original intent for More Than Just Pals was is uncertain, but for now, Pocketpair does seem to be proceeding with developing an actual visual novel.

Creating, or at least making trailers for, dating sim spinoff games is also a fairly common April Fools' joke at this point, with different franchises tackling their respective visual novels with varying degrees of earnestness. The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, for example, was released for free around April Fools' Day 2023, and similarly, a fake Valorant dating sim called Agents of Romance was teased by Riot Games in 2021 — although Agents of Romance turned out to be fake, it did apparently inspire the creation of a fan game delivering on that same concept.

Our Take: Is The Palworld Dating Sim Real?

It Looks Like The Palworld Dating Sim Is Getting An Actual Release On Steam

While the Palworld dating sim could still prove to be fake, especially given its proximity to April Fools' Day 2025, an official Steam page does make it more likely that the game will actually exist at some point. Exactly when the game might release, or how seriously it will take itself, is still in question. But from the initial trailers, the game does appear to lean more towards a parody of both well-known dating sim tropes and Palworld itself.

When Palworld was first revealed, it presented itself as a Pokémon clone with guns. Needless to say, the game has never taken itself too seriously, so the release of an actual dating sim might not be too strange to some fans. For now, it remains to be seen exactly how substantial of an experience the Palworld spinoff will be or how it will be priced. But given that Pocketpair seems to be actively developing the game, it may prove to be a more complete experience than players might expect.

Sources: Steam, Pocketpair/YouTube, @Bucky_cm/X