Palworld Dev Calls Best-Reviewed Steam Game of 2026 'Miraculous'

Pocketpair's John Buckley reacts to Palworld topping Steam250's 2026 charts, calling the player reception 'nothing short of miraculous' despite past controversies.

Did you ever think a game about catching creatures with guns would become the best-reviewed Steam release of 2026? Well, according to Steam250, Palworld has done exactly that – and even the developers are stunned.

After its massive 1.0 update, Palworld hasn't just survived; it's thriving. The game is still one of the most-played titles on Steam globally, surpassing giants like Overwatch and GTA 5. And now it sits at the top of Steam250's highest-rated releases of 2026, ahead of another indie darling, Valheim. Not bad for a survival game that only recently left Early Access.

Pocketpair's head of publishing and communications, John "Bucky" Buckley, took to Twitter to share his disbelief. "Somehow… Palworld is apparently the highest reviewed game of the year on Steam according to Steam250!" he wrote. "To say the response to 1.0 has been overwhelming would be an understatement. Thank you to all the fans! The last few years have been a trip. Really… thank you!"

Buckley didn't shy away from the controversy that has followed Palworld. "Obviously it's trendy and meta to shit on Palworld," he said in a follow-up comment, "but the facts speak for themselves. Raw massive and unparalleled sales aside… the player reception is nothing short of miraculous. That is really all you guys!" He also joked about the game possibly getting snubbed at awards shows: "Watch us get zero nominations at any awards btw," adding that Pocketpair "won't care because we just wanna make games but, I'll be salty as an individual!"

It's hard to argue with the numbers. Palworld boasts an "Overwhelmingly Positive" rating on Steam, showing that most players are loving every minute of their creature-collecting, base-building adventures. The 1.0 update, with its absurdly long patch notes, clearly delivered what fans were waiting for.

Of course, awards season is still up in the air. Buckley might be preparing for disappointment, but given the game's stellar reception, it wouldn't be surprising to see Palworld pop up on nomination lists. Only time will tell.

For now, Pocketpair is celebrating a well-earned win. And with Palworld still dominating the charts, it's clear the game isn't going anywhere. So, what do you think – will Palworld sweep the awards, or will it get snubbed? Let us know in the comments!