Pokémon Unite

Pokémon Unite is an upcoming free-to-play, multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game developed by TiMi Studios and published by Tencent in partnership with The Pokémon Company for Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch.[1][2] It was announced in a Pokémon Presents presentation on June 24, 2020.[3]

Pokémon Unite
Developer(s)TiMi Studios
Publisher(s)Tencent
Producer(s)Masaaki Hoshino
SeriesPokémon
Platform(s)Android
iOS
Nintendo Switch
Genre(s)Multiplayer online battle arena, real-time strategy

Gameplay

Pokémon Unite is a multiplayer online battle arena game with matches consisting of two teams of five players. The game map is split into two halves, with multiple control points each. Players score points for their team by defeating AI "wild" Pokémon (referred to as catching in the game), and move towards one of the control points to score "goals". Each match is time-limited, and the team with the most total score by the end of each match wins the game. Players start each game controlling unevolved, low level Pokémon, which can increase its level and gain access to new combat moves as it wins in battles. Type effectiveness, a common feature in Pokémon games, is absent from Pokémon Unite. On the other hand, the game includes a "Unite move" mechanic unique to each Pokémon character.[4]

Development

Plans for a Pokémon game being developed by a Chinese video game company go far back as 2004, with an idea for a Pokémon MMO to be developed by iQue were revealed during the 2020 Nintendo data leak.[5] A closed beta for the game was released, initially just in China.[6]

Reception

Pre-release

The reveal of Pokémon Unite received mixed criticism, with outlets discussing the game's potential to open a new competitive gaming scene to a fresh audience.[7] The YouTube video of the announcement quickly became the most disliked video on The Pokémon Company's YouTube channel.[8] The video was taken down and then reuploaded a short time after, many fans believe that this was to remove the large number of dislikes. The discontentment from fans was attributed to the involvement of Chinese mobile gaming giant Tencent, the free-to-play model, and expectations set by the previous Pokémon Presents, which announced the game as a "big project".[9][10] This caused many fans to believe that a new main core series RPG would be announced; therefore, when this game was revealed, many people were disappointed because it is a spin-off game with a mobile release.[11][12]

References
  1. Chris Carter (June 24, 2020). "The Pokémon Company's big new Pokemon announcement is Pokemon Unite, a strategic battle game with Tencent". Destructoid. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  2. Gonzales, Gelo (June 25, 2020). "Pokémon takes on 'Mobile Legends' with new MOBA 'Pokémon Unite'". Rappler.
  3. Andrew Webster (June 24, 2020). "Pokémon Unite is a League of Legends-style team-based strategy game". The Verge. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  4. Watts, Steve (27 June 2020). "Pokemon Unite Is A New MOBA-Like Game With Cross-Play On Switch And Mobile". GameSpot. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  5. "Nintendo Was Considering A Pokemon MMO In 2004". Kotaku Australia. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  6. "New Pokemon Unite Gameplay Footage Leaks". Comicbook. January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  7. "Pokémon Unite leverages TiMi Studio's pedigree in the MOBA genre". GameDaily.biz. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  8. Oloman, Jordan (June 25, 2020). "Pokemon Unite Reveal Becomes The Pokemon Company's Most Disliked Video On YouTube". IGN. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  9. "Pokemon Fans Are Not Happy About Pokemon Unite Announcement". June 24, 2020.
  10. "Fans Are Already Skeptical About Pokémon Unite". Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  11. "Pokemon Fans Are Not Happy About Pokemon Unite Announcement". June 24, 2020.
  12. "Fans Are Already Skeptical About Pokémon Unite". Retrieved June 24, 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.