Pokémon UNITE has a premium battle pass, additional gacha mechanics

Additional premium content was added to the final version of the game.
Screengrab via Pokemon

TiMi Studios were upfront with the fact that Pokémon UNIT Ewould include plenty of options for microtransactions, but it looks like neither the developers nor The Pokémon Company wanted to share just how many there are. 

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Within UNITE, not only is there a premium currency, Aeon Gems, that can help players unlock items, Pokémon, and cosmetics quicker, but there is also a premium Battle Pass. And, along with that Battle Pass, there is a separate gacha mechanic for unlocking specific items too. 

The Battle Pass is a seasonal set of rewards that can be purchased for 490 Aeon Gems, with an additional option to buy in for 945 Aeon Gems to gain 10 levels instantly. This roughly translates to a $10 purchase if you don’t have the Aeon Gems on hand to use each time a new Battle Pass is added. 

There are also free elements to the Battle Pass, though the premium track will hold more items and better rewards. 

The Battle Pass was expected, however, since it was mentioned in early material for the game. The unexpected portion is the new gacha-style Energy Rewards system, which unlocks once you reach Trainer Level five. 

For each match you play, you will accumulate Energy. This Energy can then be used to roll for a specific set of items, which all have a percentage chance of dropping per 100 Energy usage. On its own, this wouldn’t seem so bad, but not only are some rare Holowear and clothing items being placed in the Energy Rewards lottery, there is also a limit to how much Energy a player can gather per week. 

Energy gathered naturally through playing games caps out at 1,400 per week, which is good for 14 rolls, or two rolls per day before the cap resets the following week. But through the use of microtransactions, players can purchase an Extra-Energy Tank to store additional energy and Energy Boost Tanks, which increase the amount of Energy earned for a set period of time. 

Some of the items found in the Energy Rewards can also be found in the general shop via the traders, but they will require in-game currency like Aeos Tickets, Fashion Tickets, and Holowear Tickets to obtain.

These premium pieces of content don’t necessarily take anything away from the base game. But locking certain Holowear, clothing, and other items behind a premium mechanic and not offering players the choice to purchase them individually isn’t a great look for UNITE at launch.


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Cale Michael
Lead Staff Writer for Dota 2, the FGC, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and more who has been writing for Dot Esports since 2018. Graduated with a degree in Journalism from Oklahoma Christian University and also previously covered the NBA. You can usually find him writing, reading, or watching an FGC tournament.