Pokémon Unite is available to pre-download on Nintendo Switch ahead of launch

Pokémon Unite has officially gone live on the Nintendo Switch eShop and is available to pre-download ahead of the game’s July 21 launch. 

This does not mean the game is available to play, just that Nintendo has pushed the game live on the console’s backend and is letting players pre-load the game so they can avoid doing so when it actually becomes playable. 

In order to pre-load the game, all you need to do is find Pokémon Unite on the Switch eShop, either on your console or via Nintendo’s official website. Then, you can confirm your pre-order for the game, there is no purchase required since the game is free-to-play, and begin downloading the title instantly. 

The game requires 928 MB of free space on your system’s storage to download, though there might be a day one patch if any last-minute errors are discovered ahead of launch. 

Pokémon Unite will release worldwide on July 21 for Switch, with a mobile version of the game set to launch in September, according to The Pokémon Company and developers TiMi Studios. Per Nintendo Support, this means that, since Unite is a digital-only title, the game will likely be available to play at 11am CT on the day of release, though that is still subject to change.