Pokémon Unite is shutting down. The Pokémon Company announced today that the free-to-play team battle game will end service on Nintendo Switch and mobile on Tuesday, 23 March 2027, at 00:00 UTC, less than four months before what would have been its sixth anniversary.
“We regret to inform you that service for Pokémon UNITE will end on Tuesday, March 23, 2027,” the notice reads. After that date, players will no longer be able to log in or play battles. The announcement gives no reason for the decision.
What changes now
Spending in the game was switched off the same day as the announcement:
- Aeos Gems: you can no longer buy them, but any gems you already have can still be spent until the servers close.
- UNITE Club: new memberships and automatic renewals have stopped. If you’re already a member, you keep your benefits until your current period runs out.
- Refunds: the English notice doesn’t mention refunds, but the Japanese notice says unused paid gems will be refunded after service ends, with instructions to follow on the official website. It also tells players not to delete the game or the app until the refund is done. Check the official site for how this applies in your region.
One last event, and a “Library” to remember it by
Pokémon Unite isn’t going quietly. A special event and update arrives on 12 November and runs until the end. Players will earn Unite Coins they can trade for Unite Licenses, Holowear, Trainer Fashion, stickers and other items released over the game’s life.
The same update adds a Library feature that keeps working after the servers shut down. Offline, you’ll be able to look back at the Pokémon, Holowear and Trainer Fashion you collected, check your battle records and Trainer Achievements, and practise moves in the practice area. There’s a catch: you have to download the Library data before 23 March 2027. Anything you don’t download in time can’t be accessed later, and the data generally won’t carry over if you change devices.
The final tournament: Aeos Crown 2027 Tokyo
Competitive Pokémon Unite gets a send-off too. The Pokémon UNITE Aeos Crown 2027 Tokyo tournament goes ahead as planned. Qualifiers start on 5 December, and the finals take place in Tokyo on 20 and 21 March 2027, just two days before the game goes offline.
Aeos Crown was already set to replace Pokémon Unite’s place at the Pokémon World Championships. In July, the official site confirmed the game would not be part of the 2027 Worlds.
From Asian Games medal event to shutdown in two months
The timing is striking. Only last month, Pokémon Unite was an official medal event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with 58 players from 10 countries competing and South Korea’s team taking bronze. Few mobile games ever reach that level of recognition, and fewer still are switched off soon after.
Developed with Tencent’s TiMi Studio Group, Pokémon Unite launched on Nintendo Switch on 21 July 2021 and on mobile in September that year. It was the first time the series took on the MOBA genre, first announced in June 2020: five-on-five battles where teams score points instead of destroying bases. Its esports scene grew alongside the main Pokémon games and card game at Worlds.
There were signs the game was winding down. It had already stopped operating in Belgium and the Netherlands, and Aeos Coins were removed from the game in a December 2025 update. Dropping it from the 2027 World Championships was the clearest sign of all.
What players should do before March 2027
- Spend any Aeos Gems you have left, or keep the game installed if you’re expecting a refund.
- Play the special event from 12 November to collect the licenses and Holowear you missed.
- Download the Library data well before 23 March 2027 so you can keep your collection and records offline.
GasBros Gaming Network will keep following Pokémon Unite through its final months, including the Aeos Crown 2027 Tokyo finals.
Sources: Shacknews, Inven Global, Serebii, Saiga NAK.
