5 things Pokemon Unite needs to add to survive
The Pokemon Company / TiMi Studios Pokemon Unite brings the Game Freak franchise to the MOBA genre. Here are five things that the TiMi Studios multiplayer needs to add in order for it to survive for years to come.
After months of anticipation, Pokemon Unite finally launched on the Nintendo Switch in July. The free-to-play title arrived with a bang, with many praising it for its exciting roster of characters and addicting gameplay.
Despite its successes, the MOBA has some room for improvement. Here are five updates that TiMi Studios needs to make to keep the Pokemon multiplayer relevant years after its launch.
Five Pokemon Unite updates the game needs
#5. Better patch notes
The Pokemon Company / TiMi Studios While Pokemon is new to the genre, classic titles such as DOTA and League of Legends have long created the blueprint for how MOBAs handle patches. Whether it’s nerfs or buffs, the player-base needs to be informed of what is actually changing.
- Read More: How to upgrade Held Items in Pokemon Unite
On that front, TiMi Studios has been hit and miss so far. One of the biggest complaints from Trainers is just how “vague” Pokemon Unite’s patch notes have been. Whether it’s “Speed increased” or “Bug fixed”, the updates up to this point have been lacking actual numbers.
Even stranger is the patch notes released in Asia at the same time DO have numbers. Moving forward, we would like to see a more detailed breakdown of what is being changed in the game’s current patches.
#4. More maps
The Pokemon Company / TiMi Studios Although Quick Mode has Shivre City, Auroma Park, and Mer Stadium, the majority of Trainers are playing either Standard or Ranked matchmaking. This means most active players are stuck with Remoat Stadium and are only experiencing a single map.
Pokemon Unite’s gameplay will never stop being addicting. But playing the same map over and over again for thousands of hours risks burnout. Adding two more maps to Standard or Ranked would go a long way to keep things exciting. Plus multiple locales would add a lot of depth to how Pokemon and their abilities are utilized.
#3. Role Lock
The Pokemon Company / TiMi Studios If you lose in Ranked, you are deducted points. If you lose too many matches, you will even find yourself being demoted down to a lower cup altogether. The grind to reach Master Cup can become extremely frustrating if you are doing solo matchmaking as a result.
If they are going to make players lose their ranking due to matches gone awry, TiMi Studios really should implement a Role Lock system, similar to Overwatch. For many solo players, matches are often thrown because of a single Trainer refusing to play another character or take up another lane.
Role Locks would at least assure the player that a match is fair and balanced by guaranteeing each team has the minimal amount of roles filled.
#2: Nerf Zapdos
The Pokemon Company / TiMi Studios On paper, Zapdos is decent in concept. The Legendary boss battle gives matches consequences and makes each contest unpredictable to the very end. While the Kanto bird was meant to stop teams from dominating the entire match, it’s instead led to many matches being decided because one player manages to steal the last hit.
The answer isn’t to remove Zapdos. A simple change such as adding an extra minute to the clock after it’s defeated to give teams another chance to come back would go a long way to help. Or even reducing the length of time the Legendary’s buff lasts would give players a shot to defend.
New Legendary bosses in the future would also be incredibly exciting. TiMi Studios has a lot of room to make the final boss fights interesting and unique. Imagine a showdown with Mewtwo or Rayquaza. The biggest problem with Zapdos is that it can decide the entire fate of the match with a player’s single move.
#1. Held Items
The Pokemon Company / TiMi Studios In Pokemon Unite, Held Items allow Trainers to permanently increase the stats of their Pokemon (based on the level of the items equipped). This had led some players to accuse the mechanic of being a form of “pay to win” – and for good reason! Those willing to shell out real money can have a pretty substantial advantage.
- Read More: Pokemon Unite meta tips you need to know
Held Items are great as they add another dimension to the MOBA and give Trainers a progression system to work towards. But TiMi Studios MUST severely reduce the upgrade costs and make Aeos Tickets and Item Enhancers more common rewards.
If players were able to get access to the free currency to upgrade Held Items more often then many would not complain. The issue at the time of writing is purely the real-world cost and how some are able to buy their way to having a major advantage.
