Gamers rejoice as one of 2024’s most popular games just got a massive free upgrade – here’s what’s new

A record-breaking 2024 hit video game is getting a huge upgrade, adding new content, features and improvements.

The update is completely free for owners of the game, and Game Pass subscribers can play the updated version at no additional cost.

Pocketpair

Saya, with the brand-new Selyne Pal, is the latest Tower Boss that’s been added to Palworld with the new update[/caption]

The Palworld Sakurajima update is now live, and if you have the game installed, it should be downloaded automatically.

The free update brings a new island to explore, new bosses, Pals, weapons, an increased level and tech cap, and more.

Here are the highlights from the Palworld Sakurajima update patch notes, with the biggest improvements and new content you should expect.

Sakurajima, which means cherry blossom island in Japanese, is a brand-new explorable area that this update adds to the game.

The new island is also home to most of the new content additions in this Palworld v0.3.1 patch.

On Sakurajima, you will find a new enemy faction, The Moonflowers, and quite a few new Pals to capture, as well as a raid boss to fight.

A new Tower Boss, Saya, has also been added to the game, and it will be the strongest one so far.

Blazamut Ryu is the new Raid Boss in Palworld, and as it’s the most powerful Dragon-type Pal, it would be very useful in defeating the new Tower Boss.

The Sakurajima update finally brings PvP mode, where you can fight with other players in a dedicated arena in the Desiccated Desert region of the map.

There’s also a new Oil Rig Stronghold in the ocean, which you can raid for precious loot, including the new Crude Oil resource.

Farming Crude Oil is important, as it’s used to make Plasteel, the new strongest metal in the game.

Pocketpair

The new Oil Rig Stronghold in Palworld has tough defenses[/caption]

Players’ maximum level is now increased to 55, which unlocks new upgrades in the Technology Tree, including new armour and weapons.

Here’s a full list of the new weapons in Palworld’s Sakurajima update, with the required player level for the ones you can unlock from the Tech Tree:

• Laser Rifle – Level 51
• Flamethrower – Level 52
• Grenade Launcher – Level 53
• Gatling Gun – Level 54
• Guided Missile Launcher – Level 55
• Multi-Guided Missile Launcher
• Meteor Launcher

Finally, the update introduces a new weather event, Meteorites, which will be falling from the sky at random and contain supplies and resources.

There is also a chance to get a special space Pal from the Meteorites, so be sure to look at the sky often and follow the meteor trails.

Initially dubbed “Pokémon with guns”, Palworld quickly became a smash hit in February 2024, breaking records for the most concurrent players on Steam.

It quickly sold more than 15 million copies on Steam alone, making it one of the fastest-selling PC games in history.

Palworld is available via Steam Early Access and as a game preview for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles.

Being an early access or preview title means the game is still in active development and players who own it should expect more content updates down the line.

Palworld is also available at no additional cost via Game Pass on Xbox consoles and PC, and developers Pocketpair recently teased that Palworld could be coming to PlayStation.

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