Pokemon Unitewas just released today, but it already appears to be a massive hit on Twitch. There have been plenty ofuniquePokemonspin-offs, but this is the first timePokemonhas taken a stab at the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena genre, as the series usually focuses on the genre of RPGs.Pokemonfans appear to be interested in MOBAs, asPokemon Unitecurrently sits at the fourth-highest game on Twitch in terms of views.
Pokemon Unitewas first announced in June of 2020, and it came with a mix of skepticism and intrigue–often the case withPokemonreveals. However, as the game’s release date approached, the community’s curiosity about aPokemonMOBA appeared to rise each day. The game pits two teams of five against one another and there are up to twenty Pokemon that can be unlocked. Now that the game is in the wild,Pokemon Unitehas burst onto the streaming scene in a big way, which could possibly indicate long-term success.
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According to TwitchTracker, thefree-to-playPokemon UniteMOBAalready has peaked at 225,405 Twitch viewers in its first 24 hours. At the time of writing this article and capturing the information, there are 113,351 viewers watching Twitch content ofPokemon Unite. Some of those numbers could dip significantly–as it could be chalked up to simple curiosity–but those are numbers to get excited about. Right now, the only games ahead ofPokemon UniteareGrand Theft Auto 5, New World,andLeague of Legends.
The great view counts are also good for Nintendo as a whole, which only recently announced thenewest model of the Nintendo Switch. Currently,Pokemon Uniteis a Switch exclusive, although the game is set to release on mobile at a later date. Nintendo Switch games often sell very well, but they do not always perform well on Twitch in terms of staying on top of the most viewed games list. Perhaps it found itself a decent Twitch hit withPokemon Unite.
Along with checking in onPokemon Unitefor curiosity’s sake, or to learnhow to playPokemon Unite, MOBAs often do well on streaming platforms because they can be so competitive. Time will tell if thisPokemonMOBA was designed well enough to last the long haul in terms of replayability, competitiveness, and even some semblance of an esports scene. The game could do well on Twitch if fans want to tune in regularly for tips and tricks from pro players.
Pokemon Uniteis available now for Switch and later for mobile.
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