The first official competition for Pokémon Unite has finally been revealed. Pokémon Unite, which first debuted on the Nintendo Switch in July, will be released on mobile devices on September 22nd.
Pokémon Unite was released earlier this year as one of the main releases for the brand’s 25th-anniversary celebration in 2021. The game is a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena in which five-player teams fight in matches reminiscent of League of Legends and Dota 2.
Despite post-launch problems and pay-to-win issues raised by certain Pokémon Unite users, the game got a positive reception throughout its first few months of availability. Naturally, Pokémon Unite has been compared to other MOBAs such as League of Legends, and now, like Riot Games’ hugely popular product, Nintendo’s upcoming MOBA will have an official tournament.
According to Nintendo Life, the first official Pokémon Unite competition will take place on September 19 in Japan. A maximum of 256 teams will compete in single-elimination matches until the final rounds when several matches will be played to determine the best players. The official Japanese website for Pokémon Unite is already accepting registrations, however it appears that you must live in Japan to participate.
Pokémon Unite’s forthcoming crossplay capability is a significant selling factor for the game. The tournament will most likely be played solely on the Nintendo Switch, although it will take place just days before Pokémon Unite is released on mobile devices. If the Japan event is a success and similar events spring up throughout the world, crossplay might play a unique role in contests in the future.
Even while Pokémon Unite appears to be performing well in its early stages, there are still a lot of unknowns about the game going ahead, particularly in terms of the competitive circuit. MOBAs such as League of Legends and Dota 2 are only available on PC and Mac, with other titles serving as mobile equivalents.
While the Nintendo Switch may be used on the move, it is unclear how much of a benefit or disadvantage playing Pokémon Unite on the console has overplayed it on Android or Apple smartphones.
Pre-registration for the game on mobile devices is currently open, and those who do so will receive a Pokémon Unite Pikachu skin as a prize. It will be fascinating to observe not just if Pokémon Unite succeeds in the tournament setting but also if crossplay becomes an integral element of the game’s competitive identity.
