A year ago at Pokémon Presents, we got an amazing first-look at a Pokémon themed multiplayer online battle arena, Pokémon UNITE, a MOBA in the same vein as League of Legends and Smite where teams face off against each other for control of various resources over the course of a given match. In Pokémon UNITE, “players will compete in Unite Battles, where they form teams of five and compete against each other to see who can score the most points before time runs out.”

The basics of the game seem simple enough: strategize, outmaneuver, and outsmart the opposing team using a variety of abilities at your disposable. Before the match starts, players will be able to select the moves their Pokémon will be using during the match.

As the battle progresses and the matchups intensify, Pokémon will evolve and become stronger, learning new moves along the way. Your pocket monsters are also able to carry items during the match, up to three, with over 15 types of items to choose from.

During battle, players that defeat wild Pokémon or opposing Pokémon will be able to collect the valuable Aeos energy enemies drop. With that energy in tow, players will need deposit it into one of their opponents’ goal zones to score points for their team. At the end of battle, the team with the most points wins. Tons of in-game rewards are available for purchase with Aeos gems or real-world cash. The roster looks phenomenal, with Pokémon ranging in abilities and classes:

Attackers (“Pokémon that have low Endurance and excel at dealing heavy ranged damage to opponents“): Pikachu, Greninja, Venusaur, Alolan Ninetales, Cramorant, and Cinderace.

Speedsters (“Pokémon that have high Mobility and Offense and excel at making quick attacks and scoring points“): Talonflame, Absol, and Gengar.

All-Arounders (“Pokémon that have balanced Offense and Endurance and are highly tenacious fighters“): Charizard, Lucario, Machamp, and Garchomp.

Defenders (“Pokémon that have high Endurance and excel at protecting allies and hindering opponents“): Snorlax, Crustle, and Slowbro.

Supporters (“Pokémon that provide team support by inflicting status conditions on opponents and by healing allies“): Eldegoss, Mr. Mime, and Wigglytuff.

The game is set to release July 2021 on Switch and in September for mobile users.