Pokémon UNITE to close servers after five years; competitive farewell set in Tokyo

MANILA — Pokémon Unite will end its service on March 23, 2027, bringing the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game’s run on Nintendo Switch and mobile devices to a close after more than five years.

The Pokémon Company announced the shutdown on Tuesday, Oct. 27 confirming that players will no longer be able to log in and participate in battles once the service officially ends.

Despite the impending closure, the game’s competitive scene will get one final major event, with the previously announced Pokémon UNITE Aeos Crown 2027 Tokyo tournament set to proceed as planned.

The tournament will hold its finals in Tokyo on March 20 to 21, 2027, just days before the game’s server goes offline. Qualifying tournaments are scheduled to begin on December 5, 2026.

The Aeos Crown tournament will serve as a separate competitive event after Pokémon UNITE was excluded from the 2027 World Championships, a decision announced in July.

Launched for Nintendo Switch in July 2021 before arriving on IOS and Android devices in September of the same year, Pokémon UNITE developed a competitive following through regional competitions and the annual Pokémon World Championships.

The game features five-player teams competing to score points by defeating wild Pokémon and opposing players, with teamwork, objective control and strategic timing playing crucial roles in securing victories.

As part of its farewell plans, the developers will introduce a special event on Nov. 12, allowing players to obtain Unite licenses, Holowear and other in-game items from the game’s history.

A new Library feature will also allow players to preserve and revisit selected records and in-game content after the servers shut down. Players must download required library data before the end of service to retain access to the feature.

The shutdown also marks the end of purchases for Aeos Gems, while new UNITE Club memberships and automatic renewals will be discontinued.