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Pokemon Unite brings MOBA-style battles to Switch in July, mobile in September

Emily Morrow
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Pokémon Unite, the upcoming multiplayer online battle arena-style game from The Pokémon Company and Tencent, has received a new trailer and a release date. The new clip shows a cinematic take on the Pokémon game, with two teams of five Pokémon battling to score points in a large arena. The game will be coming to Nintendo Switch in July and to mobile devices in September.

Pokémon UNITE is coming this summer!

Pokémon Unite was previously announced last year. The game appears to be similar in form to a MOBA like League of Legends. Players control a set of five Pokémon as they battle in a large, open arena, taking on other Pokémon one by one or in big group clashes. Players advance by defeating other Pokémon and score points by dunking a ball into a large hoop at their opponent’s base.

Pokemon Unite's key art.

Pokémon start at a pre-evolved state and can evolve from there as they defeat other Pokémon, making endgame clashes much more spectacular. It appears as though only a specific set of Pokémon from throughout the franchise’s history will be present in the game.

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The Pokémon Company has stated that the game will be “free to start with optional in-game purchases”.

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Nintendo’s partnership with China-based game giant Tencent on the game caused a bit of a stir when it was originally announced, but it seems as though the game will receive a similar level of visual polish as mainline Pokémon games.

Some also questioned the need for a Pokémon MOBA since the genre is already crowded with heavy hitters like League of Legends and Dota 2, but it seems as though Nintendo is aiming the title at Pokémon fans rather than longtime MOBA players.

Pokémon Unite releases in July for Switch and in September for mobile devices.

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Emily Morrow
Emily Morrow
Emily Morrow is a games journalist and narrative designer who has written for a variety of online publications. If she’s…
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