Palworld · Netlonics team

Palworld 1.0 is here: everything new, and how to play it with friends

Palworld 1.0 is out: the World Tree, Sunreach sky islands, 72 new Pals and a level 80 cap. Here's what's new and how to play it on your own server.

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Palworld 1.0 is here: everything new, and how to play it with friends
Palworld 1.0

Two and a half years later, it's finally 1.0.

Remember that giant tree on the horizon you could never reach? You can go there now. On 10 July 2026, Palworld left early access and hit version 1.0, and it's a big one: the patch notes run to 27 pages, over 10,000 words, so long they didn't even fit on Steam at first.

The best part: if you already own Palworld, 1.0 is a free update. And if you've been waiting to buy in, the price didn't go up for launch either.

Here's everything that actually matters in 1.0, what changed while you were away, and why right now is the perfect moment to start a fresh world with your friends.

What's new in 1.0

The headline features.

The World Tree finally opens

The World Tree has been sitting there since day one, unreachable. In 1.0 it becomes a full explorable region and the heart of the new endgame storyline: who built this world, what the towers are really for, and what's hiding at the top. It's tuned for high-level players, so don't sprint there on day one.

Sunreach: islands in the sky

The second new region is Sunreach, a chain of floating sky islands above Palpagos with their own Pals, settlements and resources. To get around up there, 1.0 adds the Wing Pack: a piece of gear that lets you glide and soar on your own. No flying Pal required, so all your party slots stay free for the team you actually want.

Build your base on the ocean

Base building no longer stops at the waterline. You can now put a base on open water: a floating fishing village, a sea fortress, or just the prettiest waterfront factory your group can design.

A real story to follow

1.0 adds story missions with proper progression. New players get a guided path from the first camp to the World Tree endgame, and the existing regions have been reworked to tie into the story. One heads-up for veterans: on an existing save your mission progress is reset, though tutorial and tower missions you'd already beaten are ticked off automatically.

72 new Pals and a level cap of 80

1.0 adds 72 new Pals, bringing the total to 287, and raises the level cap from 65 to 80. Tower bosses got a full rework too: every tower has its own distinct look now, several bosses fight with new moves and skills, and the timer was halved from ten minutes to five.

Wildlife sanctuaries worth raiding

The wildlife sanctuaries have been overhauled with their own ecosystems, new bosses and exclusive materials, so they're a real destination now instead of a quick poaching trip.

Breeding goes deeper

Two new systems give min-maxers a fresh grind: Mutation, a chance for bred eggs to hatch with higher stats and unique passive skills, and Awakening, where Radiant Gems found around the World Tree unlock a Pal's hidden power for even higher stats. If you love chasing the perfect Pal, this is where your next hundred hours go.

Away since launch?

What you missed in two years of updates.

If you bounced off Palworld back in 2024, the game you remember barely exists anymore. The big ones since early access launch:

  • Pal trust: Pals you keep in your party and take care of build trust and fight noticeably better, with more attack and defence. Playing favourites finally pays off.
  • Rainbow passives: ultra-rare, high-value passive skills for the perfect-Pal chase.
  • Endgame strongholds and raid bosses: oil rigs and faction strongholds packed with enemies, plus proper raid bosses with a dedicated raid arena, so you no longer sacrifice a base to summon them.
  • Whole new zones: the Sakurajima and Feybreak islands, plus a Terraria crossover with its own themed dungeon and the Moon Lord as a raid boss.
  • PvP arena and new modes: fight your friends' teams directly, or spice up a run with hardcore (one life) and randomizer modes.
  • Quality of life everywhere: crossplay support, a dimensional Pal storage that holds thousands of Pals, fishing, salvaging, and Pal expeditions that send your idle Pals out to gather resources.

Stack the 1.0 additions on top of all that, and a returning player is looking at what is essentially Palworld 2 in everything but name.

Play it together

Starting fresh? Do it on your own server.

The devs themselves recommend starting a fresh world for 1.0, so the new story and progression land the way they're meant to. Look, that's exactly why you'd want a Palworld dedicated server from Netlonics right now: one shared world that's always online, where your friends drop in whenever they want and your base keeps producing while you sleep.

  • Up and running in about 30 to 90 seconds; no setup, no technical steps
  • On-demand backups, so your world is safe before every big update
  • Always-on DDoS protection and EU hosting on fast AMD hardware
  • Give friends their own dashboard access to restart or manage the server
Good to know

Palworld 1.0, answered.

Is Palworld 1.0 a free update? +

Yes. If you already own Palworld, 1.0 is completely free. New buyers pay the same price as before; the developers deliberately didn't raise it for the full release.

Do I need to start a new world for 1.0? +

You don't have to, but the developers recommend it. Existing saves keep working: your mission progress is reset, though tutorial and tower missions you'd already beaten are ticked off automatically. On a fresh world you experience the reworked progression the way it was designed.

Does Palworld have crossplay? +

Yes. Palworld added full crossplay during early access, and it works on dedicated servers too: Steam, PC (Game Pass), Xbox, PlayStation 5 and Mac can all share one world. Good to know: console players join through the in-game community server list instead of a direct address, so the server needs to run as a community server with crossplay switched on.

How many players fit on a Palworld dedicated server? +

A dedicated server supports up to 32 players in one world. A normal co-op session caps out at 4 and only runs while the host is playing, which is exactly why groups move to a dedicated server.

Why rent a dedicated server instead of hosting myself? +

Self-hosting means leaving your own PC on around the clock and wrestling with network setup. A rented dedicated server is online 24/7, protected against attacks, backed up on demand, and ready in about 30 to 90 seconds, from €13,99 per month with no setup fees. You just share the address and play.

Ready for the World Tree?

Your Palworld dedicated server is ready in about 30 to 90 seconds, from €13,99 per month. Cancel any time, no setup fees, no surprises.

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