If you weren’t aware, the Pokemon World Championships are taking place in London right now. This is the gathering place for competitive Pokemon players to battle each other in several of the series’ games. Including Sword & Shield, Unite, and the trading card game. But it sounds like Game Freak is also announcing something new about Pokemon Scarlet & Violet at the Pokemon World Championships, as well.
During the event’s opening ceremony, Pokemon Company President and CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara welcomed attendees, and also made new announcements about the mobile Pokemon Masters EX and Pokemon Unite. Masters EX is getting an update called the Trainer Lodge, which allows you to spend time with different characters. The first characters you’ll be able to invite to the lodge will be Blue, Cynthia, and Lillie. All of this is going on during Masters EX’s third-year anniversary, which includes events to earn additional in-game currency.
Also on the Masters EX news was the announcement that anime protagonists Ash and Pikachu will be coming to the game starting August 27, and will introduce a new mechanic called buddy moves, which unlock after meeting “a special condition” and deal more damage. Ash and Pikachu will be available from August 27 to October 16.
For Pokemon Unite, fans got a first look at a new map (a much needed addition, I must say) called Theia Sky Ruins, which will feature Rayquaza as a boss character similar to Zapdos in the standard stage. The map will be added to the game on September 2.
An all-new battlefield has been revealed! Take a look at the "Theia Sky Ruins," a brand new map being released in #PokemonUNITE! Look forward to more information on its release soon! #UNITE1st pic.twitter.com/l2XNa4mfnr
— Pokémon UNITE (@PokemonUnite) August 18, 2022
More Pokemon:
- What Were the ‘Endless Possibilities’ for Eevee if Not a New Evolution?
- Why I’m So Excited for Tera Types in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
- Cutting the Link-Cable: How the 3DS eShop Shutdown Could Change Pokemon Trading Forever
While that’s all the news that was announced today, developer Game Freak will be announcing something for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet during the Pokemon World Championships’ closing ceremony on August 21, along with a new reveal about the trading card game. Will it be a new pocket monster to catch? A new mechanic? Or might we get a new trailer? Based on the announcements for Masters EX and Unite, it’s probably best to keep expectations small.
Scarlet & Violet are coming to Nintendo Switch on November 18.
[Disclaimer: Fanbyte is owned by Tencent, which also co-developed Pokemon Unite. Though the company has no editorial oversight with Fanbyte Media. Nor have any of its representatives had direct contact with this writer.]
