Not much has been announced about Pokemon’s forthcoming MOBA game Pokemon UNITE, but beta testers have leaked that the game’s playable characters will have costumes they can wear in battle which will be purchasable in the in-game store. Classic free-to-play MOBAs offer players in-game costumes at a price, which accounts for the majority of the game’s profit, and it looks like Pokemon UNITE will not be an exception to this stereotype.
Pokemon UNITE was announced back in June 2020 and was not well received by fans of the series. This was partly because of The Pokemon Company holding two separate Pokemon Direct announcement videos early in the morning, the second of the videos was exclusively centered on Pokemon UNITE.
The first Pokemon Direct concluded by hinting at a bigger announcement for the following morning’s update, many of which were expecting for the revelation of the Sinnoh remakes. Rather, Pokemon fans were with what appeared to be a generic MOBA game featuring some of the series’ most beloved Pokemon.
#PokémonUNITE : Tencent a débuté la deuxième phase de bêta test en Chine. On a confirmation que la famille de Flambino sera bien dans le jeu. On apprend également que les Pokémon combattant posséderont bien des skins à l'image de League of Legends pic.twitter.com/TMsNKKBRTg
— Pokekalos (@Pokekalos) January 15, 2021
According to Pokekalos, a French Pokemon news site, Pokemon UNITE has started its second phase of beta testing in China. This second phase has unveiled that Scorbunny will be another playable character, but more essentially, every Pokemon can wear a collection of charming costumes.
Photos of these costumes were leaked as well including a Lucario costume inspired by the movie Pokemon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. Other cosmetics may not have as deep a meaning as Lucario’s but they add a stylish flair to the character’s overall look.
Other leaks from the news outlet have revealed additional gameplay as well as currency systems that were not revealed yet. More Pokemon have also been confirmed to be playable such as Crustle and Cramorant.
#PokémonUNITE : quelques autres screenshots via un groupe Discord de la bêta en cours (qui durera de 2 à 3 semaines). Pikachu / Dracaufeu auront aussi des skins pic.twitter.com/8rOvtSQMOc
— Pokekalos (@Pokekalos) January 15, 2021
Pokemon will also be able to equip various items with unique effects and abilities the same as other MOBAs. Similar to other mobile games, Pokemon UNITE will offer players with daily log-in freebies including currency, character trials, and costumes for their Pokemon.
Regardless of the disappointment that Pokemon UNITE’s initial reveal may have been, it appears to have the capability to be well received once the game is officially launched. Sure, Pokemon hasn’t originally delved into the MOBA genre, but Pokemon UNITE appears that it could perform well.
In addition, every Pokemon fan will love dressing up their Pikachu in a snapback and a hoodie while battling enemy players.
