Gaming

Pokemon Unite Announced, Team-Based MOBA Coming To Switch, Mobile

The Pokemon Presents livestream started with news of an all-new Pokemon game, Pokemon Unite. The team-based cooperative battling game is being developed in cooperation with Tencent and developer Timi Studios. It will be free-to-play on Nintendo Switch and mobile, and support cross-platform play. No release date was given yet.

How Battles Work

The matches are 5v5 and take place on a MOBA-like map split into halves that represent your teams. Each side is littered with several control points that can be used to score goals. Battles will take place in real-time. As you progress through battles, your Pokemon will level up and learn new moves, and each Pokemon has a unique Unite move. But unlike standard Pokemon, there aren’t type advantages. The side that scores the most points by the end of the match wins.

The livestream showed off a debut match between two teams of five, complete with a commentator. The action looked wild and speedy, with players competing over control points to score goals. Tall grass is used to block vision and create opportunities for ambushes, and when you defeat a wild pokemon you “catch” it. All goals scored in the final minute are worth double points.

Gallery image 1Gallery image 2Gallery image 3Gallery image 4Gallery image 5Gallery image 6Gallery image 7Gallery image 8Gallery image 9Gallery image 10Gallery image 11Gallery image 12Gallery image 13

Variety of Pokemon Generations

A select screen showed several popular monsters represented, including Pikachu, Snorlax, Charizard, and Lucario. In the match, some began as unevolved versions like Squirtle, who then evolved into Wartortle, though the select screen only shows the final evolved form, Blastoise. Pikachu also notably didn’t evolve into Raichu. Also the evolutions don’t seem to include so-called “baby” Pokemon, like Pichu or Munchlax.

We also saw some Pokemon represented on the battlefield like Bewear and Toxicroak, but since those weren’t in the select screen they may have been AI-controlled monsters. Check below for a full list of all the Pokemon we spotted:

Player-controlled Pokemon:

  • Snorlax
  • Lucario
  • Charmander / Charmeleon / Charizard
  • Squirtle / Wartortle / Blastoise
  • Pikachu
  • Clefairy* / Clefable
  • Fletchling / Fletchinder / Talonflame
  • Bulbasaur* / Ivysaur* / Venusaur
  • Gastly* / Haunter* / Gengar
  • Machop / Machoke* / Machamp

* (Not seen but assumed based on character selection and evolution)

Possible Wild Pokemon:

  • Stufful / Bewear
  • Aipom
  • Joltik / Galvantula
  • Rotom
  • Altaria
  • Toxicroak

The news was shared in the June 24 Pokemon Presents livestream. This followed a similar event a week prior, which brought a variety of announcements, including those for New Pokemon Snap, Pokemon Cafe Mix, and new happenings in Pokemon Sword & Shield and Pokemon Go.

Source: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-unite-announced-teambased-moba-coming-to-s/1100-6478925/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f