An upcoming patch for Pokémon Unite will nerf and buff certain Pokémon in its second attempt to make battles more balanced, and Snorlax and Greninja mains may not be pleased with the changes. The free-to-play MOBA was released in July but has already attracted controversy, with some players calling Pokémon Unite pay-to-win and more complaining about gameplay-affecting glitches that have cropped up with each post-launch patch.
One such glitch involves late Pokémon Unite goals not counting towards a team's overall score. A number of videos have surfaced online showing the glitch in action, which effectively means some teams are unfairly losing a match they should have won. Developer TiMi Studio Group has not yet addressed the bug, but it will likely be fixed in the coming days or weeks since the studio has already sorted out a number of other issues in the short time since launch.
On August 16, Pokémon Unite patch notes revealed a new update is coming, and it will change the stats of certain characters' moves and fix bugs associated with several more. The most notable changes, which can be seen in full below, will see Defender Pokémon Snorlax and Attacker Greninja severely weakened while both Defender Crustle and All-Rounder Garchomp have been given a boost. Ranged Defender Slowbro has also seen one attack nerfed and another buffed, although there are no exact details on how each move will be affected. Four items, Eject Button, Goal-Getter, Fluffy Tail, and X Attack, will also be switched up. The update will launch on August 18 and will require a restart to be fully applied.
Pokémon Unite August 16 Update Character Balancing Changes
Crustle
Stealth Rock:
- Cooldown reduced.
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
Rock Tomb:
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
Garchomp
Movement speed changed. Bulldoze:
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
Dragon Rush:
- Cooldown reduced.
Slowbro
Surf:
- Duration of effects on opposing Pokémon decreased.
Scald:
- Bug Fixes
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
Snorlax
Heavy Slam:
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon decreased.
Block:
- Duration of effects on opposing Pokémon decreased.
Flail:
- Move Upgrade
Unite Move: Power Nap
- HP restoration decreased.
Greninja
Smokescreen:
- Move Downgrade
- Cooldown lengthened.
Water Shuriken:
- Cooldown reduced.
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
Double Team:
- Cooldown reduced.
Pokémon Unite August 16 Update Item Changes
Eject Button
- Stat Decreases
Goal-Getter
- Stat Increases
Fluffy Tail
- Stat Increases
X Attack
- Stat Increases
As well as the upcoming balance changes being made, dataminers have leaked new Pokémon Unite characters that are supposedly due to be made available in the near future. Examining data files from the MOBA, leakers believe Sylveon and Greedent will all be added to the title as playable characters. Lending legitimacy to the game files are Blastoise and Blissey's inclusion, with the former previously announced as a planned playable character and the latter having just joined the game.
These balance changes will most likely shake up the gameplay in Pokémon Unite, forcing players to adapt their tactics in response to the various nerfs and buffs. With more characters on the way, it is likely TiMi Studio Group wants to make matches as fair as possible before introducing additional playable Pokémon.
Pokémon Unite is available for Nintendo Switch, and it will launch on iOS and Android in September 2021.
Source: Pokémon Unite