User Score
3.9

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 332 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 86 out of 332

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
  1. Aug 12, 2021
    10
    People saying it is "pay to win" either haven't actually played the game, are very bad at it, or don't know what words mean. Literally anything you can get with purchase currency can be gotten by playing the game. I won my first 4games off the bat with no held or earned items and got MVP as a beand new player, then used my earned currency to buy a new held item.

    The game is so fun and
    People saying it is "pay to win" either haven't actually played the game, are very bad at it, or don't know what words mean. Literally anything you can get with purchase currency can be gotten by playing the game. I won my first 4games off the bat with no held or earned items and got MVP as a beand new player, then used my earned currency to buy a new held item.

    The game is so fun and refreshing and if you see the words "pay2win" in a review just laugh at the reviewer, because it very literally is not. complaining about a free game they never actually really played. It is fun, easy to get in to and not at all bogged down or meta obsessed like some MOBAs
    Expand
  2. Aug 11, 2021
    0
    pay to win. early progression is fast and you unlock lots of freebies but it hooks you into thinking you can acquire enough in-game currency to level up without pulling out your wallet. The progression slows down tremendously and you are stuck either frustrated and quitting or spending money to level up your items. Game also has bugs, poor servers, and laggy hardware platform that willpay to win. early progression is fast and you unlock lots of freebies but it hooks you into thinking you can acquire enough in-game currency to level up without pulling out your wallet. The progression slows down tremendously and you are stuck either frustrated and quitting or spending money to level up your items. Game also has bugs, poor servers, and laggy hardware platform that will never elevate this game to becoming a true competitive game. This is a kids' game on a kids' console to drain their parents' wallets. This game was not developed with the game itself as the focal point. They tacked on some game they threw together to a microtransaction store they probably spent years developing. The game development took a backseat to the micro-transaction store. Expand
  3. Aug 11, 2021
    1
    Would be fun but you have people that sit in the spawn for 7 minutes with no way to kick them. Would be fun except you play against people who sink tons of dollars into upgrades. Or it would be fun, it’s just that Zeraora is stupidly overpowered. And then you just can’t up your rank past a certain point because of all these facts. I’m done until the game gets fixed.
  4. Aug 10, 2021
    5
    While the game has good gameplay and can be fun, The reason it's not good overall is the fact that it has too many mircotransations. Something I don't like. It's not worth recommending this game because of this.
  5. Aug 9, 2021
    0
    Complete garbage I have played the last 25 games at great tier and have won 1 of them despite getting MVP every match but two but the game doesn't even punish those who leave mid match or reward the mvp for carrying even tho its not their fault the rest of the team is trash
  6. Aug 9, 2021
    2
    Still better than playing League of Legends

    Game is fun to an extend but in general it's a Pay-to-Win disguised as a Play-To-Fast, Tencent really sucked out all the potential the game had to begin with the Microtransactions and Upgradable Gear.
  7. Aug 9, 2021
    0
    I have made it to masters league and over 400 games played already. I really enjoyed the game but the report button is broken. It is unacceptable to me to receive a ban for voice communications. I do not even have a mic… I have 100 fair play points and play team objectives. Playing as support characters will not give you mvp and people will report you since your total score at the endI have made it to masters league and over 400 games played already. I really enjoyed the game but the report button is broken. It is unacceptable to me to receive a ban for voice communications. I do not even have a mic… I have 100 fair play points and play team objectives. Playing as support characters will not give you mvp and people will report you since your total score at the end isn’t as good as the attackers, causing an unfair time ban. Then there’s the pay to win aspect, I spent $20 usd to get the pass and some Pokémon, yet all my items are extremely underleved and I cannot even use most of them at level 1. I am uninstalling Expand
  8. Aug 9, 2021
    0
    Unbalanced match + Pay to win = Pokémon Unite... 50+ hours playing this ***** game... don't do it
  9. Aug 9, 2021
    1
    I had really Fun at the Start. But it is now only a pay to win Game. The only reason why it dosen't get a 0 from me was the first Week.
  10. Aug 9, 2021
    4
    The game is super fun but there are major balancing issues currently. Everything you do at the beginning of the game doesn't matter because whichever team gets Zapdos wins the entire game. Zapdos allows you to get double points per cap AS WELL AS allowing you to cap points immediately. So basically whoever gets Zapdos runs it into your spawn and gets double points immediately ALWAYSThe game is super fun but there are major balancing issues currently. Everything you do at the beginning of the game doesn't matter because whichever team gets Zapdos wins the entire game. Zapdos allows you to get double points per cap AS WELL AS allowing you to cap points immediately. So basically whoever gets Zapdos runs it into your spawn and gets double points immediately ALWAYS resulting in a win. I don't think I've ever seen a team win Zapdos and lose yet, they'd literally have to go afk.
    The Pokemon to choose from are kind of limited and some are 1000% better than others, like Snorlax. When it's a new game and it's free there's some things you can excuse as they work on it and patch it, but really? Nobody who play tested the game saw the Zapdos problem? You could literally afk the first 8 minutes of the game, come back and steal Zapdos and then xd you win. It's ridiculous.
    Expand
  11. Aug 9, 2021
    3
    The 3 is because I throughly enjoy this game, and I want to give it a higher score. But it's predatory microtransactions, combined with pay-to-win, just butchers the game experience.

    And ofc, the one team that gets Zapdos are most likely to win. Nerf!
  12. Aug 8, 2021
    0
    This game by design is predatory pay2win garbage. Any fun to be had whatsoever is ruined instantly by kids AFK/leaving game or not understanding the game whatsoever. Not to mention credit card pay2win held item kiddies are so obvious. To the point where it creates a complete cancer player base. On what planet is it logical to let players join ranked matches so early. Pair this with theThis game by design is predatory pay2win garbage. Any fun to be had whatsoever is ruined instantly by kids AFK/leaving game or not understanding the game whatsoever. Not to mention credit card pay2win held item kiddies are so obvious. To the point where it creates a complete cancer player base. On what planet is it logical to let players join ranked matches so early. Pair this with the broken game mechanics and lag issues that make the game unplayable half the time and you’ve got one of the poorest excuses for a MOBA ever attempted. But feel free to keep giving them mommy’s credit card. Don’t play this trash until they are forced to fix the game. It’s a shame I can’t give this game a -10. Tencent are unethical scumbags willing to piss on the Pokémon IP for a quick dollar. Expand
  13. Aug 8, 2021
    0
    Obviously this game is going to have microtransactions that make the game p2w, it's a Tencent game afterall. Plus the homophobic comment their social media account made... No excuse for that
  14. Aug 8, 2021
    8
    All the crying about micro transactions is not warranted. If people want a fast, easy path to success in the game, then you have to pay for it. However, if you enjoy EARNING your way without spending anything, it is totally doable. I have not spent a single cent on micro transactions and in two weeks time I have multiple Pokemon I can play with upgraded items. Are they completely maxedAll the crying about micro transactions is not warranted. If people want a fast, easy path to success in the game, then you have to pay for it. However, if you enjoy EARNING your way without spending anything, it is totally doable. I have not spent a single cent on micro transactions and in two weeks time I have multiple Pokemon I can play with upgraded items. Are they completely maxed out? No, two are 20 and one is 15. I can tell you though that my ranked match losses have very little to do with the level of my items and much more to do with team play and each individual understanding what to do in order to achieve victory through out the match.

    All this was accomplished by utilizing the free tickets to boost my coins/battle points earned and upgrade items. I have a total of 101 matches so its not like I did nothing but play Unite for two weeks. Quit review bombing because you see micro transactions and learn how to get good without them. This is an excellent game and it deserves better than to be bombed for offering players a choice.
    Expand
  15. Aug 7, 2021
    3
    The game is REALLY imbalanced. Even for a moba. The game is fun for a bit, but if you even care about winning at all it gets old quick.
    its so imbalanced, the pokemon "classes" or "roles" are imbalanced. Speedsters do more damage than the "damage" roles. There is only one support in the game, which equates to a healer that you kinda NEED on your team in most cases or you just lose any
    The game is REALLY imbalanced. Even for a moba. The game is fun for a bit, but if you even care about winning at all it gets old quick.
    its so imbalanced, the pokemon "classes" or "roles" are imbalanced. Speedsters do more damage than the "damage" roles. There is only one support in the game, which equates to a healer that you kinda NEED on your team in most cases or you just lose any 5v5.
    The map is imbalanced. Drednaw is way more impactful than Rotom. Making bottom more important than top. Zapdos straight up wins the match if you get it, making the 8 minutes before Zapdos irrelevant.
    AND the pokemon themselves are imbalanced, some pokemon suck some are OP which is typical, but for christ sake I don't expect the game to be balanced but pick your poison not all of em.

    Rampant AFKers and leavers
    Horrible monetization, weekly cap on how much in-game currency can be earned to basically force players to by the Pokemon that they want to play.

    I do want to like the game, I'm an avid pokemon fan, I play a lot of competitive VGC and love the games even some of the worse ones, I also played league of legends for over a decade. So, I thought I would love this game but its obvious Tencent is just looking for some more pennies for their pockets, and don't have their heart in this at all.
    Expand
  16. Aug 7, 2021
    0
    It's a f*king pay to win game, and connection is suck.
    Without Pokemon IP, it just a ****
  17. Aug 6, 2021
    0
    Fun until you meet someone who paid real money and has maxed out level held items -- then the game is just broken. Classic pay-to-win. Classic Tencent.
  18. Aug 6, 2021
    2
    Has every form of microtransaction. The game is as basic as it can get and never is a close match. Maybe its just me but every game of the 50 I've played so far has been a close call. Either losing by alot, or winning so much they surrender... a surrender feature means the game isn't designed to even be a 10 minute battle... I hope I can change this review one day but in its current stateHas every form of microtransaction. The game is as basic as it can get and never is a close match. Maybe its just me but every game of the 50 I've played so far has been a close call. Either losing by alot, or winning so much they surrender... a surrender feature means the game isn't designed to even be a 10 minute battle... I hope I can change this review one day but in its current state it is a Pokemon money grab. Expand
  19. Aug 6, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was Bored and I decided to try out Pokemon Unite on the Nintendo switch. Once I started playing it I could not put my Nintendo switch down. This Game is super Fun. It has a great Roster and it is one of the most Underrated Pokemon games Ever. The game has a great Roster of Pokemon, and the combat in this game is greatis great Who ever says it is a Pay to win game is wrong because I am able to win without even paying a cent It is a fantastic game and I am excited for the mobile version to come out. I am even though that I am rating this game a 10 their is one issue. I wished that their was Pichu and Raichu because They added Pikachu in the game and when a match starts. All pokemon start as the first stage and you have to Score points or battle Pokemon for the final evolution stage. But Pikachu Starts out as Pikachu and not Pichu. I get he is the mascot and all but it makes no sense that all of the other pokemon who is at their final stage start out as the first stage but not Pikachu, and he should be a Raichu because it makes even more sense. Same with Snorlax and Muchlax. Other than that this game came out like three weeks ago writing this so I understand that. Expand
  20. Aug 5, 2021
    1
    This game is not only pay2win but you also gonna get paired with fu**ing kids every single time, kids that you can tell for their behaivor that they are just learning how to read, because of this you are going to lose no matter how good you play
  21. Aug 5, 2021
    6
    Pretty good game ruined by microtransactions. Easier to begin, harder to progress.
  22. Aug 5, 2021
    0
    Pure trash. Impossible to win a game with a noob team because EVERYTHING depends on Zapdos. Plus if you SoloQ and find a party (because yes, SoloQ players can face 5 guys party) or guys that spend hundreds of $$ maxing items is GG. Uninstalled it after almost reaching Ultra Rank in SoloQ. Pure gambling game. I hope this never get close to e-sports.
  23. Aug 5, 2021
    4
    Played this game for ~2 days and now i can write small review.

    Positives: 1. This game is pretty balanced (excluding zapdos buff, which is overpowered) 2. If you know how to play mobas - you can climb in ranks without problems (I, myself, after playing for ~1 day, climbed to Expert 4) 3. The base conception of 10 minute-limited moba game is nice, I like it. 4. This game is pretty
    Played this game for ~2 days and now i can write small review.

    Positives:
    1. This game is pretty balanced (excluding zapdos buff, which is overpowered)
    2. If you know how to play mobas - you can climb in ranks without problems (I, myself, after playing for ~1 day, climbed to Expert 4)
    3. The base conception of 10 minute-limited moba game is nice, I like it.
    4. This game is pretty fun to play(imho).

    Negatives:
    1. Weekly limit of 2400 coins is garbage. To buy all the pokemons you need to play this game for months or donate. I don't like it.
    2. Currently, Zapdos is way too powerful, it needs to be nerfed.
    3. This game don't have good way to talk with your teammates, this is pretty garbage (you can't even write message before game start to simply ask your teammates to let you get fast lvl 5 in jungle).
    4. It is possible to play with newbies even in decent rank.

    If tencent will remove weekly coins limit, make some balance changes, add more pokemons and make money on skins - this game'll be awesome, but in current state it is only 4/10. (in my opinion)
    Expand
  24. Aug 4, 2021
    1
    It's a shame that this game is called a MOBA, because, if u have ever played any MOBA game, there can't be any feature that influences in the game that requires you to pay to get, or, the way that it's really not intended to do: grinding. A literally pay to win game, that calls himself a MOBA to get some LoL/DoTa players that enjoys pokémon to play it.
  25. Aug 4, 2021
    0
    Super innovative disguised pay to win for a moba. that's super creative. Especially for young public. May God protect mom's credit-card.
  26. Aug 3, 2021
    0
    WORST MOBA and WORST Nintendo Switch game ever! NEVER give it a try, although it's still pretty new when I wrote this comment, I am totally angry about it. This game is completely not friendly to players who doesn't have experience with MOBA. Comparing to other MOBA game, like MLBB and LOL, this game is super fast paced, it only has 10 mins each game, if you lose in the beginning, you haveWORST MOBA and WORST Nintendo Switch game ever! NEVER give it a try, although it's still pretty new when I wrote this comment, I am totally angry about it. This game is completely not friendly to players who doesn't have experience with MOBA. Comparing to other MOBA game, like MLBB and LOL, this game is super fast paced, it only has 10 mins each game, if you lose in the beginning, you have very little chance to come back. You have to fight from the beginning to the end, there are no other strategies that you can win. You cannot defense to win, you have to be aggressive to win. REALLY REALLY BAD EXPERIENCE, NEVER TRY UNLESS YOU ARE SUPER GOOD AT MOBA. Expand
  27. Aug 4, 2021
    0
    Peccato non si possa dare meno di 0.
    Un moba targato tencent=hacker a rovinarti l'esperienza di gioco ,e in più metteteci gente che hanno le mani ,ma le usano per fare cose che non posso dire ,e soprattutto incapaci di pensare mettete insieme tutto e otterrete un mix perfetto di tossicità poco inferiore a LOL.
    P:S mi ero pure dimenticato di dire che è pay to win.
  28. Aug 4, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game lacks tutorial specially to those who are stupid in playing this game.. no communication to tell the dumb mfs to not feed! The game interface is clunky, buggy, unbalanced, and full of noobs. I mean im almost ultra and there are noobs in there. Stupid matchmaking! F**** you all Tencent! Highway robbers Expand
  29. Aug 3, 2021
    10
    This game is totally fun. There might be many people saying that this game is pay to win but it actually isn't. The impact of held items are not that difference between lv20 and 30, what requires more is individuals' skill of understanding moba to win the game.
  30. Aug 3, 2021
    0
    Disqualified for being overtly pay to win. You really thought you'd sneak that by cuz its pokemon huh?
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 31
  2. Negative: 1 out of 31
  1. Nov 29, 2021
    75
    Overall, Pokémon UNITE is a MOBA with a lot of potential. It’s already great as a casual game with friends, but I believe with some tweaking to Zapdos and removal of the “pay for held item upgrades” option, a strong competitive MOBA lives in Pokémon UNITE. Until then, it’s hard to call it much more than an above-average entry in the crowded MOBA space.
  2. CD-Action
    Oct 12, 2021
    85
    Pokémon Unite is the first attempt at creating a MOBA with the pocket monsters – and I must admit it’s a successful one. The game is fast and intense, but also easy to get a grip on. I don’t expect it to take the esports scene by storm, but it’s very enjoyable and works great in a doctor’s waiting room or on the bus. As for me, I can’t force myself to stop playing Pokémon Unite and hope the developers will keep updating it. [10/2021, p.61]
  3. Aug 17, 2021
    65
    Pokémon Unite's potential is undermined by its balancing, and might not have enough to offer either of its target audiences.