Another live-service game is about to be switched off — and this one carries the Pokémon name. The Pokémon Company has announced that Pokémon Unite, the five-on-five MOBA built by Tencent’s TiMi Studio Group, will end service on Tuesday, March 23, 2027, at 00:00 UTC. “We regret to inform you that service for Pokémon Unite will end,” the company wrote in the announcement — closing the book on a game that launched on Nintendo Switch back in 2021 before expanding to mobile.
What Ends, and When
Both the Switch and mobile versions are affected: once the servers go dark in March, players will no longer be able to log in or participate in battles. The monetization wind-down has already begun — as of today (October 27), players can no longer purchase Aeos gems, the game’s premium currency, though existing gems will keep working until the shutdown date. New Unite Club memberships and automatic renewals have been suspended as well, while current members retain their benefits until their membership period ends.
A Farewell Update, and a Library for Your Legacy
A final update lands November 12, kicking off a special farewell event. It adds the Unite Library, where players can review their earned items — Holowear, cosmetics, Pokémon, and achievements — so the time spent in the game won’t entirely disappear. There’s a catch: you’ll need to open the Library before the March 23 switch-off for it to capture your data, and because that data is stored locally, changing devices could mean losing it. Log-in bonuses and missions will also hand out special Unite coins that can be redeemed for past game items.
One Last $1 Million Tournament
The shutdown date is no accident: it comes just two days after the most lucrative Pokémon esports event ever. The Pokémon Unite Aeos Crown 2027 tournament — with its $1 million prize pool — has been confirmed as the game’s final esports event, and registration opened on the very same day the closure was announced. In hindsight, the signs were there: in July, The Pokémon Company said the game wouldn’t be part of the 2027 Pokémon World Championships, opting instead for the separate Aeos Crown event in Tokyo. Pokémon Unite had also already been shut down in some European countries over loot box gambling concerns.
Sources
- Eurogamer — Pokémon Unite closing down for good, but you’ll still be able to use it afterwards, sort of
- Engadget — Pokémon Unite is shutting down
- GamesIndustry.biz — TiMi Studio Group’s Pokémon Unite to shut down on March 23, 2027
- Insider Gaming — Pokémon Unite’s $1 Million Tournament Confirmed to Be Its Last