Introduction into Pokémon UNITE
ramblingrabbit
2 years ago
— Introduction —
Pokémon has been in the market since the 90’s and is now one of the leading video game franchises in the world, if not the leading one. However, for the longest time, most of the Pokémon video games revolve around an RPG as its genre. This time, The Pokémon Company is shaking things up as they are now entering the realm of esports in the form of Pokémon UNITE, a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed by TiMi Studios and published by The Pokémon Company for the Nintendo Switch and Smartphones, releasing in July and September respectively.
— Pokémon Unite —
Pokémon Unite is a unique MOBA for mobile devices and Nintendo Switch with cross-platform capabilities. Your Pokémon on mobile moves in game by using your on-screen joystick which you use your thumb to maneuver. In Unite, your characters are Pokémon, and your abilities are attacks specific to each Pokémon and the role it plays. To use your attacks in Unite you tap specific bubbles and as you level up, your attacks change and upgrade to deal more damage or longer lasting effects. Unite is unique in that it allows users to level up their avatar, but also allows them to use multiple different Pokémon depending on what your team needs.
— What is a MOBA game? —
A multiplayer online battle arena, or MOBA, is a subgenre of strategy video games, and is one of the most popular genres for competitive video games in the world. Prominent esports titles such as DOTA 2, League of Legends, Arena of Valor, Smite, Vainglory, Paladins, and Overwatch are among the list of games that are under this genre.
The ultimate goal for a typical MOBA game is to destroy the base of the opposing team, or deliver the payload to the destination in the case of games such as Paladins and Overwatch, but this is where the resemblance of Pokémon Unite MOBA-ness comes to an end.
In Pokémon Unite, there are no bases to destroy and the ultimate goal for winning a game is to have the most points, higher than the opponent team’s, by the end of the game. And like Splatoon, you cannot see your exact score until the end of the game.
Everything here seems easy, everything looks good on paper, but there’s actually more than there is to it and that is what makes Pokémon Unite a unique game.
— Playable Pokémon —
At the time of the writing, Pokémon Unite has 22 confirmed playable Pokémon, 3 of which will be added through a post-launch update. These are the following playable Pokémon. If you'd like a full breakdown of each character, Simply click their sprite & it will take you to our Roster Guide.
Post-launch confirmed playable Pokémon:
— Roles —
Much like any MOBA game, all Playable Characters are categorized with roles. These categories help players know which playable character is best at doing what or designed to do. Contrary to other MOBA games, Pokémon UNITE only has 5 roles. These are the following:
— Attackers —
These are Pokémon that have low Endurance (HP) and excel at dealing heavy ranged damage to opponents. This includes:
— Supporter —
These are Pokémonthat provide team support by inflicting status conditions on opponents and/or by healing allies. This includes:
— All-rounder —
These are Pokémon that have balanced Offense and Endurance and are highly tenacious fighters.
— Speedster —
These are Pokémon that have high Mobility and Offense and excel at making quick attacks and scoring points. This includes:
— Defender —
These are Pokémon that have high Endurance and excel at protecting allies and hindering opponents. This includes:
— Moving Over —
Now that you know the basics of the basics of Pokémon UNITE, it’s time to head into learning the Map, Laning, and knowing your role to your team. These articles will be published very soon and we will guide you to the way of getting those Championship titles.
Check out the video version of this article by our Analyst JJ-Kun:
And hey, STADIUM Gaming is going to host Pokémon UNITE tournaments so make sure you join our discord & follow us on twitter.