Palworld: Side by Side, the Next Update, Arrives in Winter 2026 — What We Know
Pocketpair has announced "Palworld: Side by Side", the first major update after 1.0, for Winter 2026. Here is what has been confirmed, what the teaser image hints at and what is still speculation. Updated as news arrives.
On October 20, 2026, Pocketpair announced the next Palworld update: “Palworld: Side by Side”, due in Winter 2026. It is the first major content update since version 1.0 launched in July.
The announcement came in the same post as the 2026 popularity poll results, and for now that is all there is: a name, a window and one image. Pocketpair promised “more info coming soon”.
Last updated: October 23, 2026.
What has been confirmed
- Name: Palworld: Side by Side.
- Release window: Winter 2026. On Pocketpair’s Japanese calendar, that means somewhere between December 2026 and February 2027.
- Free: there is no mention of paid DLC. Every update since 1.0 has been free.
That is it. Pocketpair has not given an exact date, a content list, platforms, or whether Side by Side is the “version 1.1” the team mentioned in earlier interviews.
What the image hints at
The announcement art shows three human silhouettes standing side by side: in the centre, a figure with a rifle on her back and a beanie with ears; on the right, one in a wide hat holding a sword; on the left, one with long hair and wide sleeves. The community identified them as Zoe, Saya and Auri, the three tower bosses who just took the podium in the character poll. The poses and weapons match all three.
The name supports that reading. “Side by Side” fits the idea of adventuring together with human characters. Zoe has been a recruitable companion since an earlier update; the most common bet is that Auri and Saya will become allies too.
All of this is player deduction. Pocketpair has not confirmed anything about the characters.
What players are asking for
One recurring complaint under the announcement: today, a human companion takes up a slot in your Pal party. Many players want Side by Side to change that, for example by letting the companion summon their own Pal without using one of the player’s slots. There is no official response either.
What comes first
Until Side by Side arrives, the current version is 1.0.5, released September 15. We summarised everything that changed in patches 1.0.3, 1.0.4 and 1.0.5. In 2025 there was a Halloween event in late October; nothing has been announced for 2026 so far.
Frequently asked questions
When does Side by Side release?
Winter 2026, with no exact date. The window runs from December 2026 to February 2027.
Is Side by Side paid?
There is no sign of paid content. All post-1.0 updates have been free.
What is in Side by Side?
Pocketpair has not said. The announcement image points to the human characters Zoe, Auri and Saya, but that is unconfirmed.
Do I need to start a new world?
Unknown. For 1.0 Pocketpair recommended a fresh start for the full experience, but old saves kept working. We will update this post when there is guidance.
Follow along on PalBoard
This post will be updated as Pocketpair releases a trailer, a date and patch notes. In the meantime, the Pal catalogue, the interactive map and the breeding calculator already carry 1.0.5 data. If you run a dedicated server, PalBoard’s monitoring shows who is online in real time.
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