Pokemon Unite Leak Teases Surprising New Mechanic

By Christian Hoffer

Pokemon Unite could be bringing in a brand new mechanic into the game, which has the potential to make one Pokemon much more powerful. Earlier this week, a well-known Pokemon dataminer and leaker named Eclipse started sharing assets for some upcoming roster additions and other features. While the biggest news was that Tyranitar, Buzzwole, and Glaceon would all be added to the game over the next two months as playable characters, one asset showed a variety of new Pikachu Holowear as well as a Gigantamax Pikachu. Eclipse admitted they didn't know what the assets were for, but they seemed to indicate that a playable Gigantamax Pikachu was on the way to Pokemon Unite.

The most likely explanation is that Pokemon Unite will add some sort of all-Pikachu mode, probably as part of the upcoming Anniversary Celebration. Pokemon Unite has added "fun" maps with different rulesets before, with the most recent map allowing players to capture and then play as wild Pokemon. 

However, an alternative possibility is that Pikachu is getting some sort of overhaul within Pokemon Unite. Pikachu is one of the default Pokemon players can get in Pokemon Unite and has been in the roster since the very beginning. While Pikachu (like most other Pokemon in Pokemon Unite) is considered to be a viable Pokemon competitively, switching its Unite Move to give it a Gigantamax form would have the potential to be pretty big...pun intended. 

Pokemon Unite is a MOBA-style free-to-play game featuring 5v5 team battles. Players control a single Pokemon and level it up by defeating wild Pokemon and opponents. Players also collect Aeos Energy from wild Pokemon and try to score goals on their opponent's side. While the game is missing several features from traditional Pokemon games (such as type advantages), it's still a fun blend of MOBA-style tactics and classic Pokemon. While the game is free-to-play, players have to purchase Unite Licenses from the in-game store in order to use those Pokemon in matches. Unite Licenses can be purchased either using Aeos Coins, an in-game currency earned by playing matches, or using a premium currency purchased with real-world money.

Pokemon Unite is currently free-to-play on Nintendo Switch and mobile devices. Individual Pokemon can be purchased through the in-game store. 

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