Pokémon Unite

Pokémon Unite (stylized as Pokémon UNITE) is a free-to-play, multiplayer online battle arena video game developed by TiMi Studio Group and published by The Pokémon Company for Android and iOS and by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch.[3][4] It was announced in a Pokémon Presents presentation on 24 June 2020.[4] The game was released for the Nintendo Switch on 21 July 2021, and was released for Android and iOS in 73 countries on 22 September 2021.[5]

Pokémon Unite
Developer(s)TiMi Studio Group
Publisher(s)The Pokémon Company
Producer(s)Masaaki Hoshino
SeriesPokémon
EngineUnity
Platform(s)Android
iOS
Nintendo Switch
Release
  • Nintendo Switch
  • 21 July 2021[1]
  • Android, iOS
  • 22 September 2021[2]
Genre(s)Multiplayer online battle arena, real-time strategy

Gameplay

Pokémon Unite is a multiplayer online battle arena game, with standard matches consisting of two teams of five players. Each match is time-limited, and the team with the highest total score by the end of each match wins.[6] A team can also win if the opposing team surrenders. Surrendering can only happen if the match reaches the halfway mark (5 minute mark), and players get three chances to surrender. There should be a majority vote among the team members for a surrender to happen. If, however, there is a tie, the team that scored the tied score first wins (for instance, if both teams scored 729 points, the team that scored that number first wins). The game map, Aeos Island, is split into two halves, with multiple control points each. Players score points for their team by defeating non-player character "wild" Pokémon (referred to as catching in the game) and moving towards one of the control points. However, if the player gets hit by an attack while scoring, they will be interrupted, and must try again. Players can hold between 30 and 50 points depending on the stage of the game and their level. Each goal zone can hold a certain amount of these points, and once the limit is reached, it will be destroyed. When players try to go on the opposing team's side of the map, when a goal zone is active, there is a zone called a "speed flux zone", which slows down the movement speed of players entering it. Destroying a goal removes a respective section of the "speed flux zone". At certain times in each match, stronger wild Pokémon will appear. Defeating one of these will provide the team which defeated it a unique effect based on which Pokémon was defeated.[7]

Each player starts a match controlling relatively weak Pokémon. The Pokémon may become stronger and gain access to new combat skills by capturing wild Pokémon, hitting wild Pokémon that their teammate captures, knocking out an enemy player Pokémon, or from their team capturing Drednaw.[8] The "type" system common in previous Pokémon games, a system similar to rock paper scissors that determines each Pokémon's effectiveness against others, is absent from Pokémon Unite. However, the game includes a new mechanic to the series known as "Unite Moves", which are combat skills unique to each Pokémon that are unlocked at certain levels depending on the Pokémon.[9] As of April 2021, over 20 playable Pokémon were officially revealed or found in the beta testing versions of the game.[10] As of December 2021 however, 9 new Pokémon have been added bringing the total to 29 playable Pokémon.


Aside from the gameplay, Pokémon Unite is unique from other MOBAs due to the fact that there is no in-game scoreboard. When asked about this, producer Masaaki Hoshino told Kotaku:[11]

The matches last 10 minutes and players have the possibility of making a comeback, so we wanted people to play without giving up to the very end.

Quick

A shorter game mode called 'Quick' is offered. It is similar to standard battles, but they are five minutes shorter. They also take place in different maps (Mer Stadium, Shivre City, and Auroma Park) with different NPCs and boss Pokémon. Each map has two to three goal zones, which is less than the standard Remoat Stadium map.

Halloween in Mer Stadium

For a limited time, to celebrate Halloween, Pokémon Unite introduced a new mode called Halloween in Mer Stadium. This is a Quick Battle that takes place in a Halloween-themed Mer Stadium. Pokémon cannot use their Held Items in battle; they are replaced by pumpkins, which, by pressing Y on the Switch or tapping it on mobile, will deploy a pumpkin that will stick onto the opposing Pokémon's head. The Pokémon with a pumpkin on its head will move slower, but its second move is replaced by an attack called Pumpkin Push, which pushes opposing Pokémon trying to attack. Playing this mode also rewards the player pumpkins, which can give the player items, fashion, more pumpkins, or the Unite License of the Pokémon Greedent. Other rewards include new Holowear skins for the Pokémon Lucario and Zeraora.

Ranked

Pokémon Unite offers a competitive mode known as 'Ranked.' Ranked Battles are unlocked at Trainer level 6. Ranked mode can be entered with at least 5 Pokémon Unite Licenses. They are 10 minute 5-on-5 matches that take place in Remoat Stadium.[12] Players may play solo or form in groups of two, three, or five. Team members must be within similar ranks to each other (2 ranks higher or lower).

In this ranked system, there are six ranks: Beginner, Great, Expert, Veteran, Ultra and Master Rank, with the final rank using a rating system for the players.

Development

TiMi, a Chinese video game developer, began a closed beta test in January 2021. This test was limited to select players in China.[13]

In February 2021, The Pokémon Company announced that another closed beta test would be scheduled for March 2021, this time specifically for Canadian Android smartphone users.[14][15]

The Nintendo Switch version of the game was officially released on 21 July 2021. The mobile versions for iOS and Android have been released as of 22 September 2021.[16] TiMi plans to continue development of the game after its official release, such as offering new playable Pokémon as downloadable content, the first of which became available for players on 28 July 2021.[17]

The following list contains every playable Pokémon currently available in Pokémon Unite.

Pokémon Position Released
Dragonite [18] All-rounder December 20,2021
Tsareena [19] All-rounder December 9, 2021
Decidueye [20] Attacker November 19, 2021
Greedent [21] Defender October 20, 2021
Sylveon [22] Attacker October 5, 2021
Mamoswine [23] Defender September 29, 2021
Blastoise [24] Defender September 1, 2021
Blissey [25] Supporter August 18, 2021
Gardevoir [26] Attacker July 28, 2021
Zeraora [27] Speedster July 21, 2021
Cinderace [28] Attacker July 21, 2021
Alolan Ninetales [29] Attacker July 21, 2021
Garchomp [30] All-rounder July 21, 2021
Gengar [31] Speedster July 21, 2021
Cramorant [32] Attacker July 21, 2021
Wigglytuff [33] Supporter July 21, 2021
Machamp [34] All-rounder July 21, 2021
Absol [35] Speedster July 21, 2021
Slowbro [36] Defender July 21, 2021
Mr. Mime [37] Supporter July 21, 2021
Venusaur [38] Attacker July 21, 2021
Lucario [39] All-rounder July 21, 2021
Talonflame [40] Speedster July 21, 2021
Crustle [41] Defender July 21, 2021
Greninja [42] Attacker July 21, 2021
Eldegoss [43] Supporter July 21, 2021
Snorlax [44] Defender July 21, 2021
Charizard [45] All-rounder July 21, 2021
Pikachu [46] Attacker July 21, 2021

Reception

Pre-release

The reveal of Pokémon Unite received mixed opinions, with outlets discussing the game's potential to open a new competitive gaming scene to a fresh audience.[3] The YouTube video of the announcement[54] quickly became the most disliked video on The Pokémon Company's YouTube channel.[55][56]

Post-release

Pokémon Unite received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[47] IGN gave the game a 6/10, criticizing some microtransactions as enabling pay-to-win gameplay.[51] The game's microtransactions have also been criticized for their price, specifically, one of the customizable options for one of the Pokémon, Alolan Ninetales, costing US$40.[57] This would also happen again with a Halloween-exclusive skin for the Pokémon Lucario. In response to discussions about the game on social media amongst fans, The Pokémon Company—through the official Pokémon Unite Twitter account—promoted a survey for feedback from fans to improve the game.[58]

By 16 September 2021, the game had been downloaded over 9 million times on the Switch,[59] with over 7.5 million mobile pre-registrations prior to the 22 September mobile release.[60] By 1 October, research company Sensor Tower reported that Unite has been downloaded 30 million times for mobile devices, while The Pokémon Company confirmed that the game has been downloaded over 25 million times on all platforms by 4 October.[61]

Accolades

Pokémon Unite won the award for Best Game of Google Play's Best of 2021,[62] as well as being nominated for Best Mobile Game for the 2021 Game Awards.

References
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  23. "It's "ice" to meet you! Mamoswine has stomped their way into #PokemonUNITE! - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  24. "Blastoise has arrived in #PokemonUNITE! - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
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  27. "This Electric-type Mythical Pokémon is fast as lightning, catching opponents and dealing massive damage in the blink of an eye. Zeraora's Unite Move sends out a powerful electric blast, creating a zone of plasma around its strike zone. #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  28. "As a Ranged Attacker, keep Cinderace at a distance to maximize its damage potential! Blaze Kick, one of Cinderace's Attacks, is a guaranteed critical hit on opponents it hits, making it a good source of reliable spike damage! #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  29. "Alolan Ninetales is a chilly Ranged Attacker with the ability to slow or even stop a target's movement by freezing them entirely. Its Unite Move, Snow Globe, deals additional damage to frozen enemies! #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  30. "Garchomp is every bit as dangerous up close as it looks, with the Ability to reflect a portion of melee damage dealt to it and numerous ways to increase its attack speed. #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  31. "Gengar is a Melee Speedster with lots of tricks to move around the battlefield quickly and deal high damage up close to opponents. #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  32. "Cramorant is a Ranged Attacker with ways to move around the map and stay at its optimal distance. Its Gulp Missile Ability allows it to periodically capture prey in its mouth, spitting the prey at any opposing Pokémon attacking it. #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  33. "Wigglytuff is a Melee Supporter with ways to keep opponents slowed and their movement locked down. With the right timing, this Pokémon can change the tide of battle by opening up opportunities for teammates! #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  34. "Machamp's a Melee All-Rounder that proves the power of muscle! With a number of ways to make it immune to hinderances, this Pokémon can keep up a momentum that's tough to stop! #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  35. "Absol's a dangerous opponent to encounter solo. If left unchecked, this Melee Speedster can put out a ton of damage in a short amount of time. #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  36. "Slowbro is a Ranged Defender with numerous ways to keep its HP up. Its Oblivious Ability causes incoming damage to be taken moments after it's dealt so Slowbro can stay in the thick of it. #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  37. "Mr. Mime is a Melee Supporter that's all about controlling the opponent's position. Light Screen can create a wall that enemies can't pass through, cutting off their approach OR their escape! #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  38. "Venusaur comes with a suite of abilities that favor dealing damage in an area, making this Ranged Attacker clutch for handling groups of opponents! #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  39. "Lucario is an All-Rounder that benefits from staying in the melee! With plenty of combos that can reset the cooldown of its moves, Lucario can build strong momentum in the right hands! #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  40. "Talonflame is all about remaining mobile! With a playstyle that favors speed, it does best getting in and out of combat quickly to make the most of its below-average HP pool. #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  41. "With a high Endurance stat, Crustle makes for an ideal Defender! Its Unite Move, Rubble Rouser, briefly reduces the damage it takes while also immobilizing and damaging nearby opponents. #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  42. "As a ranged Attacker, Greninja is all about damage and mobility, with plenty of tricks to keep it at a distance from opponents. #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  43. "Eldegoss may look soft, but don't underestimate this skilled Supporter! Its Lv. 6 move, Cotton Guard, protects Eldegoss and its allies from taking damage and restores some HP. #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  44. "Don't sleep on this Defender! Snorlax can keep its massive health pool full with moves that keep it healed—as well as support allies and immobilize foes. Snorlax's Unite Move, Power Nap, restores HP while damaging enemies around it! #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  45. "A steady All-Rounder, Charizard leverages a variety of ways to deal damage over time with its flame attacks. Its Unite Move allows it to fly over obstacles and recover health whenever it deals damage to an enemy! #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
  46. "Pikachu is an Attacker that excels at damaging opponents from a distance and leaving them paralyzed. Its Unite Move, Thunderstorm, blasts nearby Pokémon with powerful lightning! #PokemonUNITE - Pokemon UNITE on Twitter (@PokemonUnite)". Twitter.
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