While many expected to see a new entry revealed in thePokemon Let’s Goseries or perhaps another remake ofPokemongames from the past, instead, today’s latest announcement involving the beloved monster-catching franchise went in a completely different direction.
Shown off in this morning’s live stream, the latest installment in the long-lasting franchise is that ofPokemon Unite, which is The Pokemon Company’s take on the MOBA genre. The game features two teams of five players each squaring off in a specific arena where the goal is to catch wild pokemon and then bring them to specific scoring zones on the map to then earn points. The team with the most points at the end of the timed match will then be the winner.
Over the course of the game, the Pokemon that you choose to play as will also level-up which means they’ll be able to learn new moves. Additionally, gaining levels means that you’ll be able to evolve as well. While you might start the match out as just a basic Charmander, for instance, by the end of the game, you should be fully evolved into a Charizard.
Pokemon Uniteis a collaboration between The Pokemon Company and Tencent, which is a partnership that has been known about publicly for quite some time. However, what we didn’t know until is what that cooperation between the two entities would look like. Considering Tencent is often very involved in multiplayer-focused experiences, perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising whatsoever thatUniteis taking the form of a MOBA.
Pokemon Unitedoesn’t have a release window just yet, but we should be hearing more down the road. The game is set to come to both the Nintendo Switch and mobile devices via iOS and Android and will be free-to-play. Additionally,Pokemon Unitewill feature crossplay compatibility meaning that you can team up with your friends no matter which platform they might be playing on.
