Pokémon UNITE producer Masaaki Hoshino announced Wednesday that the multiplayer online battle arena game will make its debut appearance at this year’s Pokémon World Championships.
Pokémon UNITE launched on the Nintendo Switch last July, then released on mobile devices in September of 2021. Since that time, fans of the game have hosted numerous grassroots tournaments. However, players throughout the world will get the chance to play UNITE at an official Play! Pokémon event for the first time, leading up to the 2022 world championship.
At Worlds, Pokémon UNITE will join mainstays like the trading card game and the video game championships, currently hosted on Pokémon Sword and Shield versions. Additionally, this year’s circuit will feature qualifiers and a finale event for both Pokémon GO and Pokkén Tournament DX.
#PokemonUNITE is joining the Pokémon World Championship Series! Learn more about what else is ahead in our latest letter from the producer: https://t.co/UTudv0dfJT pic.twitter.com/lOnQDoHdGe
— Pokémon UNITE (@PokemonUnite) January 12, 2022
More about Pokémon UNITE at the world championship
Pokémon UNITE teams will get to compete over the course of a season in the hopes of qualifying for the upcoming world championship, similar to other Play! Pokémon competitive formats for its other titles and card game. Typically, competitive Pokémon players can earn a direct invitation to the second day of competition at Worlds. However, the Pokémon Company has not yet announced specific details about the format for the UNITE circuit.
Additionally, the Pokémon UNITE developers are currently working on a new tournament mode for the world championship. With this new mode, the developers aim to “even the playing field” among competitors even if they have differing held item grades. Hoshino did not confirm the launch date for this new mode, but he said that more details will become available when it does launch.
The Pokémon Company has not yet announced the exact dates for the 2022 Pokémon World Championships. However, the event is currently scheduled to take place sometime in August at the ExCeL London events center in England.
