New log-in bonuses have been announced for Pokémon Unite to celebrate the holiday season, including Pokémon-themed hats. However, the winter bonus comes with misleading fine print players will want to read carefully. The free-to-play Pokémon MOBA has introduced a new way for fans of the series to engage in Pokémon battles, with players joining teams to face off in arena-style tournaments.
Currently playable on the Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android devices, Pokémon Unite has been met with skepticism since its release this past July. The game relies heavily on microtransactions to improve playability and suffers from a lack of variety in playable Pokémon. While the game has steadily introduced new Pokémon since its launch - like the recently added Dragonite - there are only 29 total options - and not all are available immediately when playing. These limitations mixed (with gameplay that is dramatically different from the standard gameplay) of the series make it a challenge for some fans to enjoy.
To help encourage players to log in through the holiday season, Pokémon Unite's Twitter announced yesterday that a special giveaway will be happening over the next week. While the banner for the giveaway showcases four Pokémon-themed hats, the fine print reveals that players will only be able to choose a single hat from the four options - Charizard, Blastoise, Alolan Ninetails and Zeraora. This reward will be available on January 1, with random daily rewards given from December 24 to January 1. This could be disappointing news for those hoping to earn each hat through daily play.
The holiday log-in bonuses have followed a large patch released on December 12 meant to fix glitches and rebalance numerous playable Pokémon according to Pokémon Unite's official website. The game is also in the middle of a series of Pokémon Unite holiday events running from December 15 to January 16, adding a Snowball Battle in Shivre City, and the ability to enter the Illumination and Photo challenges for special rewards. Players will also have limited-time access to every available Pokémon license in the game between January 1 and January 3 for any matches except ranked battles.
While Pokémon Unite's gameplay may not be for everyone, it has added another way for players to connect and share their love of Pokémon from anywhere in the world. Like Pokémon GO, gameplay steers away from a singular hero's journey through the regions and reimagines the popular concepts for multiplayer co-op and competitive gameplay. Players hoping to expand their items and wearable gear this winter will want to make sure to log in to Pokémon Unite every day of the special giveaway, ensuring access to as many bonuses as possible.
Source: Pokémon Unite, Pokemon Unite, Twitter