the live version is v1.0.5 (September 15, 2026), but the patch that changed gathering is v1.0.4. Pocketpair lowered the Work Suitability required to gather Ancient Bark to Lv.1 (source: official Palworld announcement v1.0.4, September 7, 2026, Steam Community Announcements). That means you no longer need a maxed Lumbering Pal parked at a tree — any working Pal with Lumbering can do it.
Applicable version: v1.0.5 (2026-09-15), with the core mechanic change from v1.0.4 (2026-09-07)
Quick look at this patch
| Item | Verdict | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Current version | v1.0.5, texture resolution fix only | Official v1.0.5 notes |
| Key change | Ancient Bark gathering requires Lv.1 | Official v1.0.4 notes |
| Base changes | Materials return when work is cancelled; campfires no longer ignite allies | Same |
| Servers | Admins can cap buildings per player | Same |
| Do this first | Move Bark from a dedicated Pal to a spare one | Hands-on judgement |
What v1.0.5 changed
v1.0.5 has one line: it fixes cases where terrain and building textures loaded at visibly reduced resolution (source: official v1.0.5 notes, September 15, 2026). Pure bug fix, no balance changes.
Why v1.0.4 still matters
Everything about gathering changed there. Four base-relevant items: Ancient Bark now needs Lv.1 Work Suitability, cancelled production returns materials, campfires no longer set players or Pals on fire, and admins can set per-player building caps (source: official v1.0.4 notes).
The frame cap note
v1.0.4 also raised the PC default frame cap to 120 (source: same). If you are on older hardware, check the setting, because the default moved.
Ancient Bark at Lv.1: rebuilding the chain
Previously you kept a high-Lumbering Pal for Ancient Bark. Now Lv.1 is enough (source: official v1.0.4 notes). The practical effect: Bark moves from a specialist job to a spare-hands job.
What "anyone can gather" means
You no longer pull your best Lumbering Pal off other lines. Keep high Lumbering on Wood, which has far higher demand, and hand Bark to low-level working Pals that happen to have Lumbering.
Setting up the gather spot
Carve a small "bark zone" at the edge of the base, drop two or three low-tier Lumbering Pals in, and restrict them to gathering. That keeps the main lines staffed and shortens hauling paths.
Base assignments: splitting Work Suitability
Base efficiency comes from matching jobs, not from raw levels. A high-level Pal in the wrong job produces less than a low-level Pal in the right one.
Single-job versus multi-job
Specialists belong on high-value lines that need continuous work; multi-job Pals belong on low-value, interruptible lines. The reason is pathing: every job switch costs travel time, and frequent switching eats throughput.
Correction: multi-job is flexible, not stronger
The community line that "multi-job Pals are better" is only half right. Multi-job buys flexibility, single-job buys stability, and a base needs both.
Campfires and layout
Since v1.0.4, players and Pals no longer catch fire from player-built campfires (source: official v1.0.4 notes), so bases can be tighter and you can drop the safety gap.
Where is the fastest place to farm Ancient Bark?
The fastest route is a base-side gather spot, not running the map. Wild gathering is limited by respawns and terrain; base gathering is steady output (check the in-game Palpedia and map). If you must gather in the field, pick dense forest and optimise the route rather than the gathering speed.
How much per day
Base gathering has no daily cap. Output depends on Pal count and Work Suitability level. Three Lumbering Pals cover early and mid-game building needs (estimate; actual output varies).
Do not ignore drops
Some Pals drop wood-type materials. Picking those up while fighting beats a dedicated farming trip.
How many materials should you stock
At the 1.0 build costs, a mid-sized base of roughly 100 structures needs hundreds of Wood, hundreds of Stone and over a hundred Fiber (community figures; no official table). Ancient Bark is a mid-to-late material and scales with how many processing facilities you build.
Watch the building cap
v1.0.4 added an admin setting for per-player building limits (source: official v1.0.4 notes). On a multiplayer server, ask the owner before you build, not after.
Demolition is cheaper now
Layout experiments used to be a trap: tear down the wrong wall and part of the material simply vanished, so players planned bases once and never touched them again. That changed in v1.0.4.
After v1.0.4, cancelling construction or dismantling returns materials to your feet when over the weight limit instead of deleting them (source: same). Experimenting with layouts costs less.
Is it worth coming back now?
Verdict: come back for building, wait for the next update
1.0 already raised the level cap from 65 to 80 and brought the Pal total to 287, with 72 new Pals including 47 new species and 25 variants (source: official 1.0 changelog, July 10, 2026). That is enough content for a full playthrough.
If you are waiting for winter
Pocketpair announced the next major update, "Side by Side", for winter 2026 (source: official announcement, October 20, 2026), with no date or content details yet. If you are only here for new content, you can wait.
If you only care about gathering
Now is a good time, because the v1.0.4 changes all reduce base operating costs.
FAQ
What Work Suitability does Ancient Bark need now?
A: Lv.1. The v1.0.4 notes lowered it to Lv.1, so any Lumbering Pal can gather it.
Is there new content in 1.0.5?
A: No. v1.0.5 (September 15, 2026) only fixes terrain and building textures loading at reduced resolution.
Is there a building cap?
A: Yes, depending on server settings. v1.0.4 added a per-player building limit for admins; single player uses defaults.
What is the level cap?
A: 80. The 1.0 release raised it from 65 to 80, with 287 Pals in total.
When is the winter update?
A: Winter 2026 per the official announcement, with no exact date.
Action list for this week
- Launch the game and confirm v1.0.5; on PC check the frame cap is 120.
- Base: carve a bark zone with two or three low-tier Lumbering Pals restricted to gathering.
- Lines: keep high Lumbering on Wood and give Bark to spare hands.
- Layout: campfires no longer need a safety gap, so tighten the base.
- Multiplayer: ask the server owner for the building cap before expanding.
Patch notes for later updates land on gghubs.com, and GameHub keeps the 1.0 build checklist for comparison.