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Pokemon Unite is coming to Nintendo Switch, mobile devices

Pokemon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara reveals the co-op battling game during a livestream.

Sean Keane Former Senior Writer
Sean knows far too much about Marvel, DC and Star Wars, and poured this knowledge into recaps and explainers on CNET. He also worked on breaking news, with a passion for tech, video game and culture.
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Sean Keane

Pokemon Unite, a co-op team-based battling game, is coming to Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, the Pokemon Company revealed in a Wednesday livestream. No release date was given for the free-to-start spinoff.

It'll feature crossplay, so it won't matter if you prefer playing on Switch or a phone. It's being made in partnership with TiMi Studios, which is owned by China's Tencent Games.

Playing as a Pokemon, you'll join a team of five to face off against another team of five -- a bit like multiplayer online battle arena, or MOBA, games League of Legends and Dota 2. You'll have to cooperate with teammates to catch wild Pokemon, level up and evolve their own Pokemon, before taking on the other team.

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Unlike most Pokemon games, it won't feature type advantages. Instead, Pokemon will have varying traits. Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Pikachu, Snorlax, Lucario, Clefairy, Fletchling, Gastly, Machop and their evolved forms are among the playable Pokemon seen in the video.

Wednesday's livestream came exactly a week after the previous one, in which nostalgic New Pokemon Snap, tooth-brushing app Pokemon Smile, free-to-start puzzler Pokemon Cafe Mix and a Max Raid event in Nintendo Switch adventure Pokemon Sword and Shield were revealed.

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