Pokemon Unite Is Shutting Down After Nearly Six Years

Nintendo has announced that Pokemon Unite, its Pokemon-themed MOBA for mobile devices and Switch consoles, will be shutting down on March 23, 2027. The game will go offline just days after the Aeos Crown 2027 tournament, and Nintendo has stopped selling the game's premium in-game currency, Aeos Gems.

"We offer our sincerest gratitude to the many Trainers who have played since service started for the Nintendo Switch version on July 21, 2021," The Pokemon Company and developer TiMi Studio Group announced in a press statement. "We hope you continue to enjoy Pokemon Unite until the final day of service."

Pokemon Unite's online matches will be a thing of the past after March, but players can download a new Library update that lets them view their career progress and stats, as well as play practice rounds. While the game had a fairly sizable audience, Pokemon Unite always seemed like a forgotten part of the Pokemon empire, and it failed to make the cut for the 2027 Pokemon World Championships. A fairly serviceable MOBA, it never seemed to catch on like other Pokemon spin-offs, and fans questioned how long it would run before Nintendo pulled the plug.

With the release of the battle-focused Pokemon Champions earlier this year, the writing may have been on the wall for Pokemon Unite, and it'll be joining several other titles in the Nintendo mobile games graveyard like Mario Kart Tour, while Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp transitioned from an online game to a microtransaction-free version that costs $10.

As the year winds down, Pokemon fans can also look forward to a new game in the series: Pokemon Winds and Waves. It's the longest wait yet between mainline entries, but judging from the teasers shown off so far, fans look content to let longtime developer Game Freak cook on this new chapter in the franchise.