It's been an interesting year for Pokemon, with the release of DLC for Pokemon Sword and Shield instead of an annual installment, a plethora of changes and events in Pokemon GO, and the resurgence of the craze for Pokemon cards, a lot has happened for the franchise in 2020. However, something perhaps even more unexpected was the announcement of a Pokemon MOBA earlier this year.
After a dedicated Pokemon Presents video back in June, another Pokemon Presents was announced for the following week. While many expected announcements of new Pokemon Let's Go games or remakes of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, a new MOBA titled Pokemon Unite in development for Nintendo Switch and mobile devices by TiMi studios was revealed instead. And after a bit of silence, it seems that more details on the game's development have been announced.
Today, a closed beta for Pokemon Unite was announced on the Chinese microblogging website Sina Weibo. Though not much is known on the beta just yet, it has only been announced for China so far, and is scheduled to kick off Pokemon's 25th anniversary.
The announcement states that the Pokemon Unite closed beta will start just next month sometime in January, and will only be open to select players. Although players are still eager to learn about the Pokemon being included in Pokemon Unite, Tencent and TiMi Studios included a QR code that players can scan to fill out a questionnaire in order to be considered for the closed beta test. When roughly translated, the announcement mentions that players can team up with their friends, which may imply that those chosen for the closed beta can invite their friends to partake as well.
While Pokemon Unite's reveal was poorly received, it mostly had to do with fans expecting otherwise from the franchise. When compared to other MOBA's currently on the market however, the game does seem promising, and it's clear that a lot of care and attention is being put into the game's development.
Although certain aspects of Pokemon Unite may have been leaked online already, it seems that those who are located in China won't have to wait long for the chance to take the game for a spin. For now, it will be interesting to see if the closed beta expands to other regions, and especially if it becomes more widely accepted among fans once they have an opportunity to check it out for themselves.
Pokemon Unite is in development for Switch and mobile devices.
Source: Sina Weibo