Palworld Global Popularity Poll 2026 — Full Results (Sekhmet, Zoe Win)

Pocketpair's Palworld Global Popularity Poll 2026 drew 271,234 votes across 17 language versions. Sekhmet won the Pal category with 49,637 votes; Zoe topped characters with 133,221. Here are the full top results and what they suggest about Side by Side's content direction.

Last updated: 2026-11-13

Pocketpair announced the results of the Palworld Global Popularity Poll 2026 on October 20, 2026, alongside the reveal of the upcoming v1.1 "Side by Side" update. Voters picked up to three Pals and three characters from the full roster across 17 language editions; total turnout was 271,234 ballots, up on the previous year.

Pal category — top 3

  1. Sekhmet — 49,637 votes
  2. Solenne — runner-up
  3. Chillet — third place

The Sekhmet win is a little surprising given she's a newer 1.0-era addition compared to the three years of nostalgia built up around Early Access Pals like Chillet. The result suggests the community has already emotionally adopted 1.0's Pal roster rather than treating the new Pals as novelty — a useful signal for what Pocketpair might lean into with v1.1.

Character category — top 3

  1. Zoe — 133,221 votes
  2. Auri — 114,226 votes
  3. Saya — 85,957 votes

Zoe winning tracks with her consistent presence — her Halloween costume was the flagship cosmetic in v0.6.8 Halloween 2025, and she keeps getting narrative weight across patches. Her 19,000-vote margin over Auri is comfortable but not dominant.

Turnout numbers

  • 271,234 total ballots across 17 language versions
  • Voters picked up to 3 Pals + 3 characters each, so individual vote totals aren't reader counts
  • Pocketpair stated turnout was up on the previous year — signal that the active community remains healthy post-1.0 despite overall Palworld search volume declining from the July launch peak

What this suggests about v1.1 "Side by Side" content direction

Pocketpair tends to lean into fan favorites when scoping cosmetic or narrative content. The combination of Sekhmet + Zoe at the top of their respective lists suggests v1.1 could include:

  • New Zoe interactions or dialogue content — she's already a recurring NPC, popularity confirms the player investment
  • Sekhmet-focused mechanics or skins — plausibly a Sekhmet variant, special outfit, or breeding path highlight
  • Legendary-tier attention to Chillet — the Early Access mainstay still ranks top 3 three years later; the community clearly wants her preserved and enhanced, not retired

None of this is confirmed — Pocketpair has only stated v1.1 is "not a massive update" with a flagship feature tied to Tower Bosses (see our v1.1 Preview page for the full confirmed-vs-speculative breakdown). Popularity poll results don't dictate roadmap, but they do inform cosmetic and narrative decisions historically.

Why this matters for your Palworld planning

If you've been on the fence about which Pals to invest breeding resources into, the poll is one signal worth considering alongside gameplay utility:

  • Sekhmet — if you don't have one in your Paldeck, the community has validated she's worth hunting. Combat utility separate from popularity, check our Best Pals by Element coverage.
  • Chillet — still beloved and still viable mechanically. Her Winter Style skin (from Dec 2024 Christmas skins) is particularly popular and would be a repeat-release candidate if Pocketpair runs a Winter 2026 cosmetic drop.

Sources: Siliconera — Sekhmet and Zoe Win 2026 Palworld Characters Popularity Poll, Steam News — Global Popularity Poll 2026 Results & New Update, Gamerfuzion — Sekhmet Wins the 2026 Popularity Poll, Demokratis — Palworld Sets Side by Side Update for Winter 2026, AllKeyShop — Palworld Reveals 2026 Poll Winners, Palworld_JP X announcement.