Pokémon UNITE is a good game, but it needs to fix the money issue to be great
Pokémon UNITE could become another one of the franchise’s best new projects to reach new fans if it addresses its microtransactions head-on.
The popularity of all things Pokémon surged at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, but much of that hype had been brewing online for years.
Remember when content creators were opening insanely expensive and rare Pokémon card packs? It could only be described as pure mayhem, for retail stores especially, which had to pull Pokémon cards from their shelves over safety concerns. Outside the world of its trading card game, the franchise still dominates headlines when new video game titles get announced and gameplay trailers showcase some of Pokémon's most exciting Pocket Monsters.
Last summer during Pokémon Presents – the company's special coverage of the upcoming game and news updates – a brand-new genre mash-up was announced that would ultimately draw the ire of countless fans after the presentation: Pokémon UNITE.
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The game (available now online and on Nintendo Switch) was announced as the franchise's free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena. It seems to have found inspiration from other popular MOBA titles, like "League of Legends" and "Dota 2," but it has players facing off against one another with iconic Pokémon instead. Charizard and Venusaur were shown battling against other popular Pokémon like Blastoise and Snorlax. The initial response to UNITE was ... pointed, to say the least, as viewers downvoted the reveal trailer en masse.
Fan backlash over Pokémon UNITE
Most of the backlash came from the game's presentation: It was revealed as both a console and a mobile game, with a structure many assumed would lead to considerable microtransactions.
Since the game was officially released on Nintendo Switch on July 21, the response has been mixed. Metacritic has the game sitting at a Metascore of 69 and an aggregate User Score of 4, both indicators of larger issues likely stemming from microtransactions. The concerns coming from players include overpowered items (that can essentially be bought with real money), gameplay mechanics that include a boss fight that can severely alter a match’s outcome, balancing issues regarding different Pokémon and more.
MOBAs (multiplayer online battle arena) are known for having faced some of the same issues now plaguing Pokémon UNITE, but what lies at the heart of these concerns is the influence real-world dollars have on a player's performance. Today's popular free-to-play titles, like Fortnite, have microtransactions mostly tied to cosmetic items that bear no impact on a given match, but UNITE's monetization does.
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With any kind of gaming innovation, the public's response is often a mixed bag of reactions ranging from pure elation to utter disbelief, and that’s not entirely bad or new to veteran companies. If there’s anything The Pokémon Company can take away from the criticisms of Pokémon UNITE, it’s that its players will undoubtedly engage with a product that takes their concerns into consideration.
Players just want to be heard
UNITE's official Twitter page asked players last month how their gaming experience was going and if you wade past some of the more hyperbolic critiques, you’ll find thoughtful and legitimate concerns supported by hundreds of other players.
The Pokémon Company has established a reputation for creating some of the most inclusive and exciting projects to incorporate the world of Pokémon, and their track record in the gaming world speaks for itself. They've been committed to expanding the reach of its core series to include players who may have never fully engaged with a Pokémon title before.
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Niantic's mobile smash-hit Pokémon GO has consistently appealed to new players with every event, festival, and special research task announced – and in 2018 Game Freak capitalized on this by releasing Let's Go Pikachu, a title that incorporated Pokémon GO mechanics into the core series for the first time.
However, Pokémon GO players have spoken out against Niantic's recent change to features that were first introduced at the height of the pandemic. A boycott of the game was the latest in the ongoing struggle between players who feel overlooked by the game's developers.
Likewise, the studio behind UNITE – TiMi Studio Group – faced well-deserved scrutiny for a Twitter exchange that drew attention from across social media.
Initially reported by Kotaku, TiMi Studio Group responded to a tweet that asked them to say "gay rights" by instead asking "why?" and further stoking an insensitive discourse. The studio later apologized and a representative for The Pokémon Company reaffirmed its sentiments of inclusion and support for the LGBTQIA+ community.
The concerns around UNITE are legitimate and though The Pokémon Company has a résumé of genre-defying titles that expand on the world of Pokémon in creative and engaging ways, players want to see greater accountability from developers.
We've seen immense success from their Mystery Dungeon series, their Pokémon Art Academy title on the 3DS, and their animated series that highlight creative expression and inclusion.
UNITE can recover from its current slump if The Pokémon Company can do what they’ve done in the past and acknowledge the many ways it can right the ship.
Jamal Michel is the gaming editor at The Nerds of Color blog and has covered gaming and pop culture news the last several years. His other gaming news has appeared in Rock Paper Shotgun and GamesRadar.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of Paste BN.