Palworld Announces Major 'Side by Side' Update for Winter 2026 as Sekhmet and Zoe Top Global Poll
Three months after leaving Early Access behind with its massive Version 1.0 launch on July 10, 2026, Palworld is gearing up for its next major content drop. Developer Pocketpair officially announced on October 20, 2026, that the survival crafting hit will receive a major update titled "Side by Side" in Winter 2026 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store. Alongside the reveal, the studio shared the full results of the Palworld Global Popularity Poll 2026, which directly connect to the update's mysterious promotional artwork.
'Side by Side' Teaser Points Directly to Zoe, Auri, and Saya
While Pocketpair is keeping the full patch notes under wraps for now, the official teaser graphic for the "Side by Side" update offers a major clue about what players can expect this winter. Set against a neon blue and purple backdrop, three blacked-out character silhouettes stand right above the update's logo.
A closer look at the outlines reveals that these aren't random newcomers, but the three most recognizable human figures in the Palpagos Islands:
- Center: Zoe Rayne, unmistakable with her signature twin tails, now resting an assault rifle directly over her shoulder.
- Left: Saya Kurosaki, identifiable by her high ponytail and poised blade stance.
- Right: Auri, sporting her floating ribbon halo and a sword strapped to her waist.
Putting these three faction leaders front and center under the title "Side by Side" strongly points toward a fan-requested feature: the ability to recruit, team up, or fight directly alongside human bosses as combat companions. Back in the early days of Early Access, a famous exploit allowed players to capture Zoe and Grizzbolt inside a Pal Sphere before Pocketpair reluctantly patched the bug out. Turning human leaders into legitimate squadmates is a smart way to keep post-1.0 momentum rolling, especially at a time when other studios are choosing to wrap up major content updates on their survival action games much earlier than players expected.
Global Popularity Poll 2026: Sekhmet Claims the Crown While Zoe Rules Human Characters
Featuring Zoe, Auri, and Saya on the Winter 2026 promotional art is a direct nod to the community's voting habits. Held in September 2026 across more than 280 Pals and human characters (288 ranked Pal entries in total), the Palworld Global Popularity Poll 2026 drew record voter turnout worldwide on Pocketpair's official voting portal.
In the Pals division, newer roster additions shook up the top of the leaderboard while longtime mascots held their ground in the top ten:
- 1st Place: Sekhmet takes the overall crown as the world's favorite Pal in 2026.
- 2nd Place: Solenne secures the runner-up spot.
- 3rd Place: Chillet, the beloved Early Access icon, holds onto a podium finish in third.
- Rounding out the Top 10 Pals: Dupin (4th), Eidrolon (5th), Frostallion (6th), Jetragon (7th), Selyne (8th), Bellanoir Libero (9th), and Katress (10th). Fan favorites like Anubis (13th), Depresso (19th), Cattiva (21st), and Lamball (41st) also secured comfortable Top 50 spots.
Meanwhile, in the Characters (Human NPCs) category, the top three winners match the exact trio silhouetted in the Side by Side teaser:
- 1st Place: Zoe remains the undisputed fan favorite among human characters.
- 2nd Place: Auri takes second place overall.
- 3rd Place: Saya locks in third ahead of Zenara (4th), Lily (5th), the Player character (6th), the Wannabe Depresso Islander (7th), the Black Marketeer (8th), Victor (9th), and Bjorn (10th).
Post-1.0 Live Support Built for Long-Term Retention
Following July's Version 1.0 milestone, which introduced the World Tree region, the Sunreach sky islands, and full PvP modes, Pocketpair made it clear that leaving Early Access was only the beginning of ongoing support. Rather than holding everything back for massive multi-year expansions, the developer is focusing on targeted seasonal updates that expand co-op mechanics, weapons, and base building. That steady cadence keeps returning squads and streamers engaged even as Steam crosses a record 21,388 game releases in 2026 and competition for player attention hits an all-time high.
My Take
What I love most about how Pocketpair handles Palworld is how quickly they turn community memes and wishes into actual game features. Everyone remembers the early days when players used a glitch just to catch Zoe in a Pal Sphere, and Pocketpair even apologized when they accidentally patched it out. Seeing Zoe, Auri, and Saya silhouetted with weapons on the "Side by Side" teaser right as they sweep the top three spots in the 2026 Global Popularity Poll proves the studio knows its audience inside out. If this Winter 2026 update officially lets us recruit human tower bosses as squad companions in co-op, Palworld is going to dominate Steam charts and Twitch streams all over again over the holidays.
SEO consultant for over 20 years and digital entrepreneur, Charles 'Grimtag' Ronchain is the founder of Pro-Gamer.gg, Retrocharting.com, and Gamescharting.com. A competitive gamer, streamer, and retro game collector, he has worked in the video game industry for over 15 years, notably as a consultant for leading game price comparison platforms. Passionate about real-time performance data and gaming technology, he analyzes competitive esports, gaming hardware benchmarks, and creator workflows on Pro-Gamer.gg with an authentic player perspective.
