A year ago, the Pokémon Company announced its first foray into the Massively Online Battle Arena (MOBA) genre with the announcement of Pokémon Unite. The MOBA is developed in partnership with Tencent’s TiMi Studios and is one of the first in a slew of new games that expand the diversity of Pokémon game genres. This week, we’re getting a little more detail about the upcoming Pokémon MOBA.
Each game in the Pokémon world is unique to a region – Pokémon Unite is no different. The new region, known as the Aeos Island, is the home of Unite. In this region, which is located somewhere in the undiscovered oceanic frontiers of the Pokémon world, players will be meeting familiar monsters but in a completely new environment. Aeos Island is the home of the Unite Battle Committee which oversees the Unite Battle tournaments. Players who come to Aeos Island will be taking part in these battles where they will need to team up with four other Trainers and compete. The competition will see these teams of four go head-to-head to score enough points to win before time runs out. Players will also encounter a new, unique energy called Aeos energy which allows them to evolve their Pokémon in battle.
The Aeos Island Unite Battles
Trainers will need to face off in 5-on-5 battles. During these battles, they will need to take down their opponents as well as wild Pokémon to gather Aeos energy. They will then need to deposit this energy in one of the opposing team’s goals. That said, the battles won’t be as straightforward. Each stadium will have its own set of rules which will challenge Trainers. Who knows, you might even encounter some Legendary Pokémon in your battles. Pokémon level up and gain new moves and even evolve during battles. However, unlike other regions, Pokémon in the Aeos Islands revert to Level 1 after each battle.
Trainers will come face-to-face in battles that will challenge them. Elite teams will force Trainers to think out of the box for a strategy to win. Communication and teamwork will be the key to success as Trainers take on Unite Battles. Synergise with your team and find your role in your team. While classic Pokémon strengths and weakness don’t exist in Aeos Island, each Pokémon has one of five unique roles and play styles – Attacker, Defender, Speedster, Supporter and All-Rounder – for you to master.
You start off as a rookie, you will make your way up the ladder from the Beginners Cup to take on the Master Cup. Your ranked battles will be on show for the world to see on the global ranking boards. Trainers will also be able to use Holowear to dress up their Pokémon. Take a snapshot of your Trainer avatar with your Pokemon and use it as your profile picture to show off your unique style.
Pricing & Availability
Pokémon Unite will be free to start. Trainers have the option to purchase additional items, Unite Licenses and more using Aeos Gems. Aeos Gems can be acquired through in-app purchases. However, if that’s not your groove, you can earn Aeos Tickets and Aeos Coins in-game as you progress.
Pokémon Unite will be released on the Nintendo Switch and on mobile. There are plans for cross-platform play but it is unclear if it will be available at launch. The game will be on the Nintendo Switch in July 2021 with the mobile version planned for September 2021.