Pokémon Unite ready to hit its apex as part of Pokémon World Championship Series

Pokémon Unite took the gaming world by storm when it was released on July 21, generating 50 million downloads on Nintendo Switch and Mobile app stores by the end of 2021. Pokémon’s foray into the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) genre was unexpected, but that hasn’t stopped its success on both a casual and grassroots competitive level.

The game continues to lure in new players every day with shiny cosmetics and an addicting gameplay loop, while endemic Pokémon esports organizations like Victory Road continue to host competitive events for some of the best teams in the world. Now, since the Pokémon Unite circuit is officially part of The Pokémon Company’s World Championship Series circuit, the game is set to only become more popular from here.

The significance of Pokémon Unite joining the World Championship Series can’t be understated. Prior to the pandemic, Pokémon players would compete in the Trading Card Game (TCG), Video Game Championship (VGC) and Pokkén Tournament every year for a chance to be crowned champions. Now, that series also will include Pokémon Unite.

The popularity of Pokémon’s competitive scenes make up a small fraction of Pokémon’s overall brand value, but there’s no doubt that “trainers” -- as The Pokémon Company affectionately refers to its players in reference to the franchise’s core video game series -- are always put first. For Pokémon Unite and its competitive players, that means stability and a consistent prize pool.

Pokémon’s TCG, VGC and Pokkén champions only won $25,000, $10,000 and $6,000, respectively, at the 2019 world championship, but $500,000 will be up for grabs for Pokémon Unite players at this year’s world championship in London. That number isn’t as much as MOBAs like League of Legends or Dota 2, where the prize pool often hits eight digits, but it’s a strong start for Pokémon’s newest competition.

Pokémon’s competitive scenes are more than just winning prizes and fancy titles, but there’s no doubt that Unite’s entrance into the World Championship Series is invigorating the scene in a way that will propel players and teams for the rest of the year. Gaimin Gladiator’s Merek “zugrug” Kansas believes that it’s making everything feel a lot more professional.

“Since the Worlds announcement, teams have been taking practice more seriously,” he said. “Our team used to just play five-stack ladder and stream the games, but now we have been scrimming versus other top teams and no longer stream during team practice or tournaments. We have also been having more orgs picking up teams which makes Unite esports feel a lot more professional.”

League of Legends went through a similar phase about a decade ago when Riot Games began holding official competitions before eventually establishing the North American League Championship Series (NA LCS) and European League Championship Series (EU LCS). Teams and players tightened up practice schedules once serious competition and salaries came into play and official sponsorship followed.

Zugrug and his squad, Gaimin Gladiators, are without a doubt the best team in North America. The team dominated the February Finals in North America, taking down the entire tournament without dropping a single map for a perfect 10-0 game score. It’s no surprise that the unit was one of the first to get sponsored by an official organization after competing as TTV for months prior, but their success is far from coincidental.

“We put our team together before the release of Unite. We all knew each other through the MOBA, Heroes of the Storm, and have been friends for a while,” Zugrug said. “I think our team has been on top because we are all really good players and practice the game the most. We have also built up good synergy by not making roster changes and trusting each other’s shot calls during games.”

In an ecosystem as young as Pokémon Unite’s, stories are already beginning to develop as professionals from numerous games and teams as dominant as Gaimin Gladiators look to make their mark during the game’s first official season. Pokémon Unite’s presence at the world championship is not only good for competitors, but also for spectators as they continue to see the same faces compete in tournaments over the course of the season. Competitive Pokémon communities operate on a smaller scale than most other esports, but that hasn’t stopped people from following the histories of prominent VGC players like Wolfe “Wolfey” Glick and Aaron “Cybertron” Zheng as they chase titles each year.

As Pokémon Unite moves into its esports era, the only question that really remains is the game’s relationship with developer support. The game has gone through spurts of unbalanced patches with Pokémon like Greedent terrorizing the ladder for weeks unchecked, but ultimately, the meta is in a decent spot and pros like Zugrug are fairly content.

“I think overall, the balance is pretty good. In blind pick you aren't going to see that much diversity, but in the February Finals we had different picks in all roles other than support,” he said. “The last two released Pokémon feel overtuned, though. Hoopa and Duraludon feel like a must-pick in every comp, so hopefully they can get their power down a little.”

The game is bound to ebb and flow, but with an entire circuit hinging on the health of the game, fans can only hope that balance will be consistent and precise moving forward. With the March Finals taking place this weekend, competitive teams around the world will find themselves in online brackets rearing to compete yet again for circuit points and a shot at qualifying for the Pokémon Unite World Championship which is set to take place in London in August.

Lead image credit: The Pokémon Company