Is Pokemon UNITE a MOBA?

Thinking of trying Pokemon UNITE for yourself? This page explains if Pokemon UNITE is a MOBA as well as its difference with other MOBA games available in the market!

Is Pokemon UNITE a MOBA?

Yes, Pokemon UNITE is a MOBA Game

Pokemon UNITE is the Pokemon Company's attempt to introduce a MOBA game using Pokemon as characters! Head on to the arena using your favorite Pokemon and prove your dominance in a 5v5 battle!

Pokemon Roster - All Character List

Difference from Other MOBAs

Win Condition

Abilities Can Change

Vision Works Differently

Farming Works Differently

No Shops and Gold During Battles

Items are Equipped Before the Match

Upgrading Items Works Differently

Inventory Works Differently

No PIcks and Bans

There is a Time Limit

Win Condition

The main objective in most MOBAs is centered around destroying the enemy's base to win the game. In Pokemon UNITE, the win condition is to score more points than the other team.

Scoring Guide: When to Score Goals

Possibility of a Tie Game

Because the game is based on a scoring system, there is a possibility of a tie game. The winning team is determined by whichever team reached the tied score first .

Abilities Can Change

The characters/heroes in most MOBAs have fixed abilities throughout the game, usually 3 basic abilities and one ultimate. In Pokemon UNITE, each Pokemon starts out with two fixed abilities/moves, then when they reach a certain level, these abilities are can be replaced with one of two new abilities/moves.

Vision Works Differently

The vision mechanic in Pokemon UNITE works a little differently from other MOBAs. Walls do not block a player's vision in Pokemon UNITE, which means it cannot be used to hide from the enemy.

Vision Guide: How Does Vision (Sight) Work?

Farming Works Differently

Farming refers to the act of killing minions/monsters for gold to buy the neccessary items for the character/hero and to level up, and is a core gameplay feature in MOBAs. Farming works differently in Pokemon UNITE, where you still hunt for wild Pokemon that drop Aeos Energy instead. The player then collects the Aeos Energy from these wild Pokemon and uses them to score points at enemy goal zones.

MOBA Terms and Glossary

No Shops and Gold During Battles

A core feature in most MOBAs is the shop/shops found around the map during battles. However, Pokemon UNITE does not have any shops during battles at all. Instead, the shops available in the game can only be accessed in the main menu, not during battles.

Consequently, there is also no currency during battles, which most MOBAs have in the form of gold.
List of Shops and Price List

Items are Equipped Before the Match

Most MOBAs have players buy and equip the neccessary items for their character/hero during matches. In Pokemon UNITE, players equip items before the actual match begins.

There are two types of items players can equip before the match: Held Items, and Battle Items.

Can't Change Items During Battles

Unlike most MOBAs where players can freely change their items throughout the match through buying and selling, Pokemon UNITE does not allow players to change their items during battles. Once the match starts, whatever items are equipped before the match will be the items players have throughout the match.

Upgrading Items Works Differently

Item progression in most MOBAs requires players to collect gold to improve some of their items during battles. In Pokemon UNITE, players can only upgrade their items by purchasing Item Enhancers, and using it to upgrade items BEFORE the start of the battle. Furthermore, each item can be upgraded up to level 30.

How to Upgrade Items

Has Pay-to-Win Elements

As a consequence, players who are able to upgrade their items faster will have a huge advantage against players who have low level items.

Is Pokemon UNITE Pay to Win? Free vs. Premium Features

Inventory Works Differently

While most MOBAs have a fixed inventory for each character/hero, Pokemon UNITE requires players to unlock item slots in order to equip more items. Players in Pokemon UNITE start with only 1 item slot for a held item and 1 item slot for a battle item. To unlock additional held item slots, players are required to level up their Trainer Level.

Trainer Level: How to Get Battle Points Fast

Limited to 4 Items at Most

Compared to most MOBAs where players can have up to 6 items or more, Pokemon UNITE has a limit of 4 items consisting of 3 Held items and 1 Battle item.

No Picks and Bans

During the picking phase of each Ranked Match, other MOBAs allow players to ban certain characters/heroes and pick the ones they want to use, preventing the other team from being able to pick that character/hero. In Pokemon UNITE, players cannot ban Pokemon nor prevent the other team from getting the same Pokemon.

Can Players Use The Same Pokemon?

There is a Time Limit

Perhaps the most notable feature of Pokemon UNITE is its time limit per match. Other MOBAs do not have a time limit for each match, making it possible to have extremely long matches.

The time limit for a match depends on the match type. Standard and Ranked matches have the 10 minute time limit. Quick battles on the other hand only have a 5 minute time limit.

Requires Strict Time Management

As a consequence of having a time limit for each match, Pokemon UNITE requires players to make quick and calculated decisions to avoid wasting time. Breaking the game down into minutes, and knowing what to do in those minutes is the key to playing Pokemon UNITE.

How to Win: Tips & Strategies for Every Lane

Pokemon UNITE Related Guides

Latest News

Updates and Patch Notes

Updates and Patch Notes

Version 1.12

Version 1.11

Version 1.10

Version 1.9

Latest Maintenances and End Times

Maintenance Schedules and End Times

News and Hot Articles

Pokemon Release Information

Pokemon Release Info
Gardevoir	Blissey	Blastoise	Mamoswine
Sylveon	Greedent	Decidueye	Tsareena
Dragonite	Trevenant	Aegislash	Duraludon
Azumarill	Espeon	Delphox	Glaceon
Buzzwole	Tyranitar	Mew	Dodrio
Scizor	Clefable	Zoroark	Sableye
Urshifu	Dragapult	Comfey	Goodra
Lapras	Chandelure	Umbreon	Leafeon
Inteleon	Mewtwo	Blaziken	Mimikyu
Meowscarada	-