The Pokémon Company has announced a bevy of new details surrounding Pokémon Unite, including the release window for this highly anticipated spin-off. The team-based, 5 vs. 5 strategy game is expected to launch in July for Nintendo Switch, followed by a release in September for mobile devices, presumably coming to both iOS and Android. Cross-platform play between Nintendo Switch and mobile devices is planned, which will allow players on both platforms to play together and allow for syncing save data across both platforms. The game is also going to be “Free-To-Start”, with in-game items being optional to purchase.
In a trailer released by The Pokémon Company on Thursday, eager viewers were treated to a stunning cinematic of how this team-based game will work, while also announcing more playable Pokémon. In this trailer we see two teams race out of the gate, fighting off groups of Lillipup to grow stronger, as seen with Scorbunny evolving into Raboot after its battle. We also get a glimpse at how Pokémon will interact with their team, as Pikachu and Lucario are seen on the offensive, with Mr.Mime and Snorlax defending their part of the arena. The trailer ends with a brief montage of in-game footage.
The Pokémon Company also updated the official Pokémon Unite website with a bevy of new information. So far, 19 Pokémon will be available at launch, with two more coming on the way. Those 2 post-launch Pokémon were revealed to be Blastoise and Gardevoir. Some of the available Pokémond range from iconic and recognizable choices such as Pikachu, Lucario, and Charizard, with there being some more unique choices such as Cramorant, Crustle, and Eldegoss.
Each Pokémon has its own strengths and weaknesses, as is the case with many MOBA’s such as League of Legends and DOTA 2. Pokémon will have to gain experience by battling wild CPU Pokémon scattered across the battlefield to gain experience and level up to get stronger, and in some cases, evolve. Buying held items in-game is also a common MOBA trope, which has been implemented into Pokémon Unite. To win games, players must defeat other wild or opposing Pokémon to collect “Aeos Energy ” and deposit it into the other team’s goal zones. The team with the higher score wins. The more you play, the more items, cosmetics, and Pokémon you unlock.
Nintendo has also announced that a season pass will be available for purchase as well, allowing players to fully maximize the number of items and cosmetics they can obtain for their trainers and Pokémon. Pokémon Unite will also have three types of in-game currency. Aeos gems will be the games paid currency, Aeos coins, and Aeos tickets. Aeos coins and Aeos tickets can be acquired by playing the game. With the popularity of both MOBA’s and Pokémon coming together, it seems like Pokemon Unite is shaping up to be a unique game for fans of both these gaming juggernauts.