Pokémon Unite is a MOBA spinoff that’s set to come to Nintendo Switch and mobile devices this year. The free-to-start title was unveiled during today’s June 24 Pokémon Presents showcase, taking up the spotlight as the company’s previously teased next “big project.” While the game isn’t exactly what many may have hoped for, this Tencent collaboration project represents a first for the franchise.
The goal with Pokémon Unite was to create a highly accessible, yet deep 5v5 MOBA. Players pick Pokémon that can be upgraded throughout each unique battle with different moves and abilities. Evolutions keep the experience familiar to longtime fans of the series, though Pokémon-specific Unite Moves see each monster using powerful abilities unique to this title. Achieving victory requires players to capture wild Pokémon and bring them to the opposing team’s scoring areas. The winning team needs to score more points than the other team within the time limit.
Tencent Senior Vice President Steven Ma elaborated on the game’s name, saying that “the Unite in Pokémon Unite represents the gameplay concept of players coming together with a shared goal.” He added that Tencent’s role in partnership saw it assigning developer TiMi Studios to work on the game. TiMi’s most recent credits include Call of Duty: Mobile and Saint Seiya Awakening.
Nintendo has yet to share a release window for the game. You can see the entire presentation, which includes a few minutes of gameplay, in the video below.
This week’s Pokémon Presents follows last week’s Pokémon-packed presentation. During this previous showcase, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company revealed New Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Smile, Pokémon Café Mix, and Mega Evolutions for Pokémon GO.
