Pokémon Is Officially Pulling the Plug on One of Its Biggest Games

1 day ago 34

Published Oct 27, 2026, 5:53 PM EDT

Hannah covers horror, sci-fi, and games at Collider, where she writes news and features, reviews new releases, and interviews the people who make them. She’s helping build out Collider’s gaming coverage, with Pokémon as one of her specialties. If she isn’t writing about a monster, she’s probably watching one on a tape from her VHS collection.

Pokémon’s competitive scene has grown well beyond the battles that first introduced players to the franchise. The Trading Card Game has its own international circuit, while console and mobile games have given Trainers different ways to compete. For players who prefer working alongside teammates, one game has offered a particularly different route to victory.

First released on Nintendo Switch in July 2021, the free-to-start game brought five-on-five team battles to the Pokémon world before expanding to mobile devices that September. Its roster grew to include fighters such as Decidueye and the Mythical Pokémon Hoopa, giving players more ways to build their teams. More than five years after its debut, however, the game’s remaining time is now limited.

The Pokémon Company has officially announced that Pokémon UNITE will end service on March 23, 2027, at 00:00 UTC, which is 8 p.m. ET on March 22 for U.S. players. The shutdown affects both Nintendo Switch and mobile versions. In its official announcement, the company stated, “We regret to inform you that service for Pokémon UNITE will end on Tuesday, March 23, 2027, at 00:00 UTC.”

What Happens to ‘Pokémon UNITE’ Before the Shutdown?

Several changes have already taken effect. Aeos gem sales, new UNITE Club memberships, and automatic membership renewals ended on October 27. Players can spend their existing gems until service closes, while current members retain their benefits through the end of their paid membership period. The announcement does not provide a reason for the shutdown. There will still be opportunities to collect items before the final battle. A Grand Shop Sale is offering discounts of up to 80%, with plans to bring back past cosmetics. A November 12 update will introduce special Unite coins earned through login bonuses and missions, which players can exchange for items including Unite licenses and Holowear.

That update will also add a Library feature, preserving access to certain content after regular service ends. Players will be able to view their collected cosmetics and achievements, with access to the Practice Area also planned. However, the required Library data must be downloaded before the shutdown; players who miss that deadline will not be able to activate it afterward. There are additional limits worth keeping in mind before deleting the app or changing devices. Library data generally cannot be transferred to another device, and deleted or lost data may be unrecoverable after service ends. Regular logins and multiplayer battles will also become unavailable once the servers close. The Pokémon UNITE Aeos Crown 2027 Tokyo tournament will proceed as previously announced, with qualifiers beginning December 5. Players therefore still have several months to compete and prepare their Library downloads.

Pokémon UNITE remains available on Nintendo Switch and mobile devices until its March shutdown.

Release Date 1997 - 2023-00-00

Network TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC

Directors Shigeru Omachi, Koji Ogawa, Fumihiro Ueno, Hideki Hiroshima, Maki Kodaira, Makoto Ooga, Ayumi Moriyama, Keitaro Motonaga, Shigeru Ueda, Fumihiro Yoshimura, Minoru Ohara, Yoshitaka Makino, Kiyoshi Egami, Makoto Sokuza, Bjarne Heuser, Naoki Murata, Kenichi Nishida, Tomoe Makino, Masahiko Watanabe, Hiroaki Takagi, Tazumi Mukaiyama, Ryohei Horiuchi, Yoshihiro Oda, Hiromichi Matano

Writers Junki Takegami, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hideki Sonoda, Yukiyoshi Ôhashi, Yuka Miyata, Takeshi Shudo, Shouji Yonemura, Shinzo Fujita, Michihiro Tsuchiya, Deko Akao, Reiko Yoshida, Aya Matsui, Junichi Fujisaku

Franchise(s) Pokemon