Monster capturing, gun shooting, crafting survival game Palworld made an appearance at Summer Game Fest today with news about an update, and it's a big one. On June 27, Palworld will see the Sakurajima update add a higher level cap, new Pals, a new raid, a new faction and boss, a whole new island, and more.
The Sakurajima update sounds like one heck of a doozy. In a new trailer, we got a look at a brand new island being added to Palworld with a distinctly Japanese theme. We see cherry blossoms, something that looks like a bath house, and plenty of architecture and nature pointing toward that theme.
The island comes complete with new Pals, new subspecies, new buildings, a new raid, a new stronghold called the Oil Rig, an arena, a new faction, a new boss, and a raised level cap. This update will also come with Xbox-dedicated servers, something the game had conspicuously lacked up to this point. A number of the new Pals hearken back to the game's heavy Pokemon inspirations - there's one that looks a lot like a Dusclops, and another that reminds me of Golisopod.
Palworld has seen a flood of regular updates since its early access release earlier this year, including new raid battles and new Pals. Developer Pocket Pair previously unveiled Arena Pal PvP back in April, and more updates are planned throughout the year. Our early access review of the game called it "amusingly irreverent" and "absurdly difficult to put down."
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.