If you haven’t noticed, Pokemon is still one of the world’s most popular video game franchises, and Pokemon Go was not only one of the biggest games in the series, it’s still huge today. So when The Pokemon Company announces a new Pokemon game, one that’s exclusive to mobiles like Pokemon Go is, people sit up and take notice. Pokemon Masters was announced for mobiles last month, and today we’ve finally got some solid info on it. So, what is Pokemon Masters?
We’ve got all the new information on Pokemon Masters released by The Pokemon Company today. Below you’ll find all the info on what Pokemon Masters actually is like, what it will play like, who’s making it, what the release date will be, and how much it’ll cost. We’ve also got the latest trailer for the game. Will it be a real-world AR game like Pokemon Go, something closer to the original RPGs like Pokemon Sword and Shield, or something completely different? Let’s have a look.
What is Pokemon Masters?
Pokemon Masters is the latest Pokemon game for mobile phones from The Pokemon Company. It’s a strategy and battling game that will be available for iOS and Android phones, where the emphasis is on 3-vs-3 battles. Players will join up with two other trainers and fight against a trio of AI-controlled trainers and their Pokemon. The game features a new region called the island of Pasio, and there will be a story mode.
The big twist is that players will be able to control and command Pokemon trainers as well as a specific Pokemon that have been “synced” with them. In that sense, the game isn’t specifically about collecting different Pokemon around the world; it’s about “collecting” both the trainer and their Pokemon, and building them both up through battles.
What is the Pokemon Masters release date?
Pokemon Masters currently does not have a specific release date. At the moment it only has a general release date of summer 2019, and as we’re basically in summer already we can surely expect Pokemon Masters to show up sometime in the next 2-3 months. It will be available for “compatible” iOS and Android phones only, not any consoles such as Nintendo Switch.
Will it be free to play or paid?
We admire the honesty in the press release for Pokemon Masters, as while the game will be free to download, it’s described as a “free-to-start” game rather than the traditional “free-to-play.” In other words, players can download the game for nothing, but there will be purchasable in-game items for real money, and players may need to buy some of those items to continue. It may even be the case that players will not be able to progress through the story until an expansion has been purchased, for example.
What will Pokemon Masters gameplay be like?
In Pokemon Masters, players explore the island of Pasio with their chosen “synced pair” of trainer and Pokemon. All the synced pairs are set, so it looks like players won’t be able to mix and match trainers and Pokemon. Pairs include Korrina and Lucario, Red and Charizard, Blue and Pidgeot, and more. Going by the screenshot above, it does look like some trainers will be able to use the same Pokemon type however.
Players meet two trainers (and their Pokemon) and can take them into battle. During battle players essentially have control over three Pokemon and three trainers, and can fight with all six. Each synced pair has a different role, such as support or support, so players will be expected to create teams that compliment each other in order to defeat all opponents.
During battles, players watch the move gauge and attack or defend based on what’s available. There are also special moves that pairs can pull off called “Synced Moves” which are a lot more powerful. Trainers have powers too, such as the ability to heal. The ultimate goal is to reach the top of the Pokemon Masters League tournament, although being a mobile game we don’t expect the game to stop there.
Where’s the new Pokemon Masters trailer?
You can check out the animated trailer for Pokemon Masters below, including the first look at gameplay from the title, as well as an introduction to the game from Pokemon Company president and CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara.
