Palworld Side by Side Update Announced for Winter 2026, as the Popularity Poll Crowns Sekhmet

Palworld's next big update has a name: Palworld Side by Side is officially coming in Winter 2026. Pocketpair announced it on 20 October, alongside the results of the Palworld Global Popularity Poll 2026, and promised that more information is "coming soon."

It will be the first major update since Palworld left Early Access and launched version 1.0 in July 2026. Here's everything that's confirmed so far.

Palworld Side by Side at a glance

When is the Palworld Side by Side update coming out?

Pocketpair says Side by Side is "officially coming in Winter 2026." There's no exact date yet, so expect it between December and early 2027, depending on how Pocketpair defines winter. We'll update this article and our Release Radar as soon as a date is announced.

What's in the Side by Side update?

Pocketpair hasn't revealed any features yet, only the name. The name hints at something to do with playing alongside your Pals or other players, but that's our reading, not something Pocketpair has said, so treat any feature lists you see elsewhere with caution until Pocketpair shares details.

Palworld Global Popularity Poll 2026 results

Pocketpair also revealed the winners of this year's popularity poll, which ran in September with every one of the game's 280+ Pals and several human characters on the ballot. Pocketpair says it received even more votes than last year.

The full rankings, including breakdowns by language, are on the official poll website.

What has Palworld added since 1.0?

Since the 1.0 launch, Pocketpair has released three patches:

• v1.0.3 (12 August): cheaper and earlier Jetragon gear, the Aquatic Construction Kit unlocked at level 23 instead of 66, double Fiber from trees, cheaper oil and power buildings, and a new server setting for enemy camps near bases.
• v1.0.4 (7 September): two new sub-missions ("Beyond Dimensions" and "From the Far Side of the Moon"), smarter Pal skill use, fishing difficulty tweaks and a new fishing setting in World Settings.
• v1.0.5 (15 September): fixes for low-resolution textures and map filters.

There's also a Palworld × RuneScape: Dragonwilds Steam bundle with 10% off both survival games. If you're tempted, see our coverage of Dragonwilds update 1.0.1.

More Palworld on iGame Magazine

• How to beat and catch Blazamut Ryu – our Palworld 1.0 raid guide
• How to get Dog Coins in Palworld – every source and the Medal Merchant
• Palworld's Tides of Terraria update – the crossover update from 2025
• Dragonwilds update 1.0.1 – the survival game in the new Palworld bundle

Palworld Side by Side FAQ