Pokemon Unite First Anniversary Celebration Starts Soon With Six New Pokemon, PvE Mode

Pokemon Unite is approaching its first anniversary, and The Pokemon Company and Timi Studio Group plan to celebrate with giveaways, new Pokemon additions, and multiple in-game events beginning July 21--the actual anniversary of the game's launch on Nintendo Switch.

To start, players who log in for five days between July 21 and October 12 will receive five free Unite Licenses--the item needed to play as a certain Pokemon--as well as a free costume for each Pokemon received. The list of what's being given away is below:

• Day 1 - Pikachu Unite License, Fashionable Style costume
• Day 2 - Lucario Unite License, Concert Style costume
• Day 3 - Blastoise Unite License, Firefighter Style costume
• Day 4 - Snorlax Unite License, Bedtime Style costume
• Day 5 - Sylveon Unite License, Checkered Style costume
  • Those who own any of these Unite Licenses or costumes will receive 100 Aeos Coins instead.

Six new Pokemon will also be coming to the game's playable roster during the celebration, with Glaceon being first on July 21, Buzzwole following on August 3, and Tyranitar the next to arrive on August 15. The other three Pokemon will be revealed at a later date and are all scheduled to arrive in September.

The celebration will also introduce Pokemon Unite's first-ever PvE mode, called Boss Rush, for a limited time. Players can team together in an attempt to take down ultra-powerful Pokemon, earning special rewards depending on how high the team ranks on the leaderboard. Boss Rush will be available in three sessions:

• Session 1: Thursday, July 21, 2022 to Sunday, July 24, 2022
• Session 2: Sunday, July 31, 2022 to Sunday, August 7, 2022
• Session 3: Sunday, August 14, 2022 to Sunday, August 21, 2022

Other anniversary-themed events include an Anniversary Cake challenge where players earn frosting points to gain rewards--the main perks being Tuxedo Style costumes for Cramorant and Crustle--as well as a new battle pass, new ranked season, and more.

Pokemon Unite is a 5v5 MOBA game where players control Pokemon in a battle to score the most points in a 10-minute time limit. The game is available now for free on Nintendo Switch and both iOS and Android devices.