November 2024 saw Pokemon Unite finally launch in China. Well, a version of Pokemon Unite launched in China. A very different version in fact, that in many ways is superior to the global version of the game that launched way back in 2021. With three additional years of development, TiMi Studio Group has created what one could argue amounts to a sequel, and as far as we know, it will only ever exist in China.
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This has everything to do with the specific and, frankly, bizarre regulations around mobile games in the region. The global version of Pokemon Unite would not have complied with Chinese law, so rather than alter the existing game, the developers instead created an entirely new version of Unite with new features, game modes, and a whole host of changes that specifically cater to the Chinese mobile market – the biggest mobile game market in the world.
Two Very Different Pokemon Unites
I understand why this happened, but it’s still bizarre that there are two totally separate versions of the same game out there. I’ve heard of regional differences, or spin-offs of popular games designed to appeal to certain markets, but I’ve never heard of a studio making two versions of the same game, with the same title, and releasing them in different countries. The gaming world has become global, but not when it comes to Pokemon Unite.
At the end of this November Unite will be delisted in Belgium and the Netherlands thanks to strict laws around loot boxes and microtransactions in those countries. Pokemon TCG Pocket wasn’t even released there.
I’m not exaggerating about how different the two versions of Unite are. In China’s Unite, you can roam around and explore an in-game lobby, similar to Splatoon, and interact with different Pokemon there – you can even choose a partner Pokemon to follow you, just like in the mainline games. In this social hub you can interact with other players and form squads or show off emotes. There are mini-games you can play in between matches, and daily quests to complete within this hub. Nothing like that exists in the global version of Pokemon Unite.
The game itself is completely different. Rather than competing to score the most Aeos Energy in your opponents goals, you win by being the first to score 500 points. The playable Pokemon are balanced differently, gain new abilities at different levels, and from the marketing, it looks like the Chinese version may even get different Pokemon than the global version.
Recent leaks revealed the Chinese version also has an auto chess game mode.
Will The Two Versions Become One?
There’s a lot of speculation within the community about what this new version means for the future of Unite. The hope is that the two versions will eventually merge into one – or at least the global version will get some of the nice features that the Chinese version has. 2024 was not Unite’s best year. As the release of new Pokemon slowed down and balance went completely out the window, it was hard not to resent the developers for turning so much focus towards development of the Chinese version while the global version languished.
Some elements of the Chinese version have made the transition already. One of the most requested features was a draft mode, which first appeared in the Chinese beta before making its way over ranked games in the global version. 500 Point mode is also coming to the global version as a trial, casual game mode.
China’s Pokemon Unite is not available on Nintendo Switch, but the global version is.
But some of the negative stuff from the Chinese version is being shared as well. Battle passes have gotten more expensive, subscriptions have fewer rewards, and we’re seeing more and more convoluted and expensive events in the global version now. There is currently a loot box event for a Pikachu Holowear that costs somewhere between $100 and $200 dollars depending on your luck. Three years ago I wrote about how gross the $40 Santa Pikachu outfit was, and things have only gotten worse.
Still, there’s some great stuff in the Chinese version of Unite, and nothing gives a dying game a shot in the arm like slapping a ‘2.0’ after the title. I know it didn’t work for Overwatch, but in Pokemon Unite’s case, the sooner it gets a big flashy update, the better.
Pokemon Unite is a free-to-play MOBA in which two teams of five players compete to score as many points as possible before the time runs out. From Pikachu to Greninja, unleash their signature moves and dominate the battlefield.