Everything You Need to Know About Pokemon Unite (June 2021)
Thanks to a recent cinematic trailer and an upcoming beta test, the hype surrounding Pokemon Unite has been further elevated. If you are a long-time fan of the Pokemon universe, dive right in to learn everything there is to know about the upcoming MOBA title.
What is Pokemon Unite?
Pokemon Unite is an upcoming 5 vs 5 multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game. Set in the Pokemon universe, the game has been developed by The Pokemon Company and Tencent’s TiMi studios. The latter is known for its several popular mobile games, such as Call of Duty: Mobile and Arena of Valor. For the uninitiated, MOBA games involve a battle between two teams in a designated area. You must have heard of popular MOBA games like Dota 2, League of Legends, SMITE, and more.
Pokemon Unite is based on a similar concept and will involve two teams of five players each. The primary aim of the game is for teams to score the most points. The fights will be held in various maps, each containing its own unique design. The battles will see many popular Pokemon (full list below) going up against each other to get the most points and win. There will be a set time limit for each match, and you will need to play along with your team to take the fight to the enemy.
What’s the Gameplay Like
If you have ever played League of Legends, you will be familiar with some aspects of this game. However, here’s exactly what to expect going into battle in Pokemon Unite.
The Basics
Before the fight, each player starts with a single Pokemon that they can choose. Each Pokemon has its own strengths and weaknesses. You then get to choose what moves your Pokemon has and will learn them as the battle progresses. The Pokemon in Unite won’t have type effectiveness but are divided into various roles depending on their traits. These roles are Attacker, Speedster, All-Rounder, Defender, and Supporter. Furthermore, you also choose up to three items that your Pokemon can hold. There are over 15 held items right now, and Nintendo might add more after launch. Players will also be able to support Pokemon with Battle Items.
Pokemon Moves and Evolution
Each Pokemon will have a total of seven moves but can only use four at a time. These moves will include a basic attack and three learnable moves. Pokemon can learn moves by leveling/ evolving and defeating other Pokemon. Apart from enemy Pokemon, there will be wild Pokemon that players can defeat to earn points and EXP. You can choose what moves your Pokemon learns once they level up. You can make your own move set that can focus on close-range or long-range attacks. Image Courtesy: The Pokemon Company As Pokemon level up, they will evolve. Evolved Pokemon will have more HP (health) than their counterparts. Further, once your Pokemon reaches a certain level, they will learn a special move called the “Unite Move“. Consider this move as the Pokemon’s signature move as it will deal heavy damage and might even turn the tide in your favor. However, keep in mind that not all Pokemon will be able to evolve.
Scoring System
As explained by Nintendo, the way to win a Pokemon Unite battle is to score more points than the opposite team. Unlike other MOBA games like LOL, you don’t need to destroy the enemy base to score points. Here’s how to score points and win in Pokemon Unite. Pokemons you encounter in the game will have Aeos energy (points) assigned to them, denoted by a small blue icon above them. You can defeat a wild Pokemon or steal points from the enemy Pokemon. So make sure to aim for the Pokemon with the most points to score more points in the stipulated time. Image Courtesy: The Pokemon Company The points you have collected will not count unless you take them to the opponent’s Goal Zone. You do that by heading into enemy lines and waiting inside the goal zone (five on each end, more on this below) until the meter fills up. The more points you have collected, the longer you will need to wait in the goal zone to deposit them. Be on the lookout, though, as lurking opponents may try to take you down and stop you from depositing points. Image Courtesy: The Pokemon Company Similarly, your enemy will try to enter your base and deposit points onto your zone. You will need to stop the enemy from doing that by attacking them. Keep the battle in your favor by ensuring they can’t deposit anything. Your Goal Zones also serve as healing areas where your team’s Pokemons can go to gain HP if they are low on health. The enemy can do the same on their side of the arena. So once you are sure you have gained enough points, try to destroy the enemy’s zones to prevent them from healing up. Doing so could give you a huge advantage in winning your Pokemon Unite battle. Don’t worry if you get knocked out, though. You will not have to watch the rest of the game unfold from the sidelines. Instead, you will respawn after a short while and can quickly get back into the fight, and helping your team capture more points. The Boss Pokemon is a special wild Pokemon that sits in the top lane of the map. With the help of your team, you can capture and defeat it. A defeated boss Pokemon will join your side and head to the opponent’s base to help defeat the enemy. However, be aware that the boss takes around 4-6 minutes to spawn into the game, but the duration might vary when the game goes live. You will know when a Boss Pokemon spawns as the map will glow yellow and a countdown still start. From what we know right now, the boss Pokemon list includes Rotom, Drednaw, Zapdos, Electrode, and Articuno, among others depending on the map. Go ahead and check out the latest cinematic trailer for Pokemon Unite right here:
Pokemon Unite Arena/ Maps
The basic map layout in Pokemon Unite will see the map being divided into two sections between your side and the enemies. The maps will have a top and bottom lane through which players can send their Pokemon. The lanes will be further connected through three vertical lanes for easier navigation. The maps will feature bushes where players can hide and wait for a surprise attack. Players will also have a small minimap on the upper-left corner to quickly glance at the information.
While we don’t exactly know if the number of goal zones will change depending on the map, the current layout shows 5 Goal Zones on each side. The Goal Zones are divided across the map – two zones on top, two on the bottom, and one near the spawn point. There are a number of maps coming to Pokemon Unite. The map you see above was seen in the recently released cinematic trailer. However, other maps revealed in trailers include Shivre City, which reportedly only has one goal zone, Zefio Park (Japanese name), and another unnamed map. Expect to see these and more when the game releases. Image Courtesy: The Pokemon Company Some other elements of the map include Arrow panels and Towers. However, the use and effects of these aren’t clear just yet.
List of Playable Characters in Pokemon Unite
Wondering what all playable characters will be available in Pokemon Unite? Nintendo is yet to officially confirm all the Pokemon you will be able to play, but it lists some of them on its official website. Plus, we also spotted some Pokemon in the trailers released over the past year. The table below contains all the Pokemon that are going to be in Pokemon Unite. Do note that it’s not the final list, and we will update it as and when we learn more about the game.
Pokemon Unite: Platforms and Release Date
Wondering if Pokemon Unite is out yet? Want to know when will Pokemon Unite officially release in your region? Well, we have the answer to your questions. Pokemon Unite will release in July 2021 for Nintendo Switch. Yeah, this anticipated MOBA game will officially go live next month. The game will launch on iOS and Android devices in September 2021. The exact release dates are yet to be confirmed. So stay tuned as we will update this article with more information once it’s available.
Is Pokemon Unite Online Multiplayer or Offline?
Many of you might be curious whether Pokemon Unite will be available to play offline, or will it have online multiplayer support? Well, Pokemon Unite is a real-time, 5 vs 5 team-based strategy game for Nintendo Switch and mobile (Android and iOS). That means the game will only support online multiplayer and not be accessible offline.
Will Pokemon Unite Support Crossplay?
Yes! In a recent press release, The Pokemon Company announced that Pokemon Unite supports crossplay between Nintendo Switch and mobile devices so players can battle together. Further, players can sync their progress between the devices (Switch, Android, or iOS) through their Pokemon Trainer Club account.
Is Pokemon Unite Available on PC?
Unfortunately, there is currently no word about Pokemon Unite coming to PC when it launches. However, if the MOBA game garners enough popularity, and believe us, it’s already happening, then a PC release is likely.
Is Pokemon Unite Free to Play?
Wondering how much Pokemon Unite will cost? What’s the price to play this upcoming MOBA title? Well, Pokemon Unite will be a free-to-start game. However, there are microtransactions involved as some items will be locked until you purchase them with in-game currencies. You can purchase and unlock items like more held items, battle items, battle passes for cosmetic upgrades, and much more. There are potentially three types of currencies in Pokemon Unite.
1. Aeos Coins
Pokemon Unite players can get Aeos coins by winning matches. You can also earn coins by completing additional tasks such as undergoing more battles, finishing tutorials, participating in events, etc. You might be able to purchase Aeos coins too. We will know more once the game launches next month.
2. Fashion Tickets
As the name suggests, Fashion tickets will be used to purchase holowear clothes for the trainer and some skins for the Pokemon itself. You can earn Fashion tickets by purchasing certain Pokemon skins from the in-game shop. However, be aware that any of the skins bought using Fashion tickets are purely cosmetic and do not give any additional in-game advantage.
3. Gems
As per an earlier beta test, Gems appear to be the premium currency in Pokemon Unite. Players can use gems to purchase the Battle Pass to unlock cosmetic items for their Pokemon and trainer.
Pokemon Unite Battle Pass: What It Has to Offer?
Much like other games, the Battle Pass is a paid offering that will unlock various items and cosmetic skins in Pokemon Unite. The items included are divided into various levels that players must reach before they can unlock them. Pokemon Unite’s battle pass consists of 50 levels that each contain their own items. Progress to higher levels and keep unlocking cosmetics, in-game currency, and more. You can level up by completing daily and weekly challenges. When it comes to pricing, players can either purchase the Battle Pass for 490 Gems or the Pass plus the first 10 levels already unlocked for 840 Gems. However, the prices and items might change come live launch.
Pokemon Unite Beta Test: Play the MOBA Game Before Release
Well, yes. If you live in Japan and have a Nintendo Switch console, you can participate in the Pokemon Unite beta this week from 24th to 26th June. You don’t require a Nintendo Online membership to access it. To our knowledge, there is no beta available for other countries right now. If you want to play the Pokemon Unite Japan beta from anywhere in the world, here is an easy workaround. Just follow the steps below:
Head to the Nintendo website (visit) and create a new account. On the account creation page, fill in all your personal details and make sure to choose “Japan” as the country/ region.
Next, move to your Nintendo Switch console and log in to this new account. To do this, go to System Settings -> Users -> Add User, and link your Nintendo account. You need to enter a verification code that you will receive in your email to complete the login process.
After that, head back to the home screen and open Nintendo eShop. Your Switch will then ask you to select the account you want to use to access the eShop. Here, select the new Japanese Nintendo account we just logged into. You will see a warning message that reads: “Nintendo eShop cannot be displayed in this language in the country/ region set for your Nintendo Account. The supported language will be displayed.”
The Nintendo eShop will then load up in Japanese, enabling you to finally play the Pokemon Unite beta, which kicks off later this week. Yeah, that’s it.
Get Ready for Intense Battles in Pokemon Unite
We hope you now have all the details you needed about the upcoming Pokemon Unite MOBE game. From what gameplay and previous betas have shown us, Pokemon Unite might be a successful entry into the MOBA genre and ignite further interest among fans and gamers alike. Anything we missed? Something you are curious to know about the game? Let us know in the comments section below.
