Pokemon Unite finally gets a Nintendo Switch release date

We last checked in with Pokemon Unite in June, when The Pokemon Company revealed that the game would be releasing sometime this summer. Failing to get any more specific than that, we were left waiting for a precise release date. However, that's exactly what we got today, as The Pokemon Company finally announced the release date for Pokemon Unite. As it turns out, the game is right around the corner.

On Twitter today, The Pokemon Company announced a July 21st release date for Pokemon Unite. It should be noted that this is the release date for only the Nintendo Switch version, as the mobile version of Pokemon Unite will be launching sometime in September.

In any case, The Pokemon Company announced today that those who log into Pokemon Unite before August 31st will receive Zeraora for free. In today's announcement, The Pokemon Company describes Zeraora's kit, saying, "This Electric-type Mythical Pokémon is fast as lightning, catching opponents and dealing massive damage in the blink of an eye. Zeraora's Unite Move sends out a powerful electric blast, creating a zone of plasma around its strike zone."

The Pokemon Company assures mobile users that they will have a similar promotion for Zeraora when their version launches, even though the mobile version won't launch until the giveaway promotion on Switch has already wrapped up. Keep in mind that The Pokemon Company is also planning to have cross-platform play and cross-progression between Switch and mobile devices, so when you start playing on Switch, you should log in with your Nintendo Account or Pokemon Trainer Club Account to make sure your progress carries over to the eventual mobile versions.

It'll be interesting to see what kind of player base Pokemon Unite can muster. Pokemon Unite seems to offer an interesting spin on the MOBA genre, but one has to wonder if that ship has already sailed for all but the biggest games in the space. We'll find out soon enough, as Pokemon Unite launches on Nintendo Switch next week.