GDC 2025 Session Viewer
Community Management Summit: A 'Palworld' Roller Coaster: Surviving the Drop
John Buckley (Communications Director / Publishing Manager, Pocketpair)
Location: Room 2014, West Hall
Date: Monday, March 17
Time: 1:20 pm - 1:50 pm
Pass Type: All Access Pass, Summits Pass - Get your pass now!
Track: Business & Marketing
Format: Lecture
Vault Recording: TBD
Audience Level: All
Palworld, the breakout hit of 2024, took both the gaming world and its developers, Pocketpair, by surprise. John "Bucky" Buckley found himself managing a massive community of nearly 25 million players, all while facing intense media scrutiny, allegations, and accusations. As a small indie studio with only a few dozen employees, Pocketpair was unprepared for the overwhelming attention Palworld received. They had to act swiftly to prevent the sudden influx of attention from disrupting development and impacting the team's workflow.
In this session, John will share his experience navigating Palworld's launch, detailing how he handled the challenges of overseeing a viral community while protecting the development team from online abuse.
Takeaway
Attendees will learn about the events leading up to Palworld's dramatic launch and the sudden attention it received. This session will also provide insights into the allegations that surfaced during Palworld's release, and how the community manager protected the development team from discouragement and burnout during this challenging period.
Intended Audience
This session is designed for anyone interested in community management or community support. No prior experience is necessary, though a basic understanding of social media culture and games journalism is recommended for attendees to get the most out of the session.