To promote the 3rd Anniversary of Pokémon UNITE, the UNITE production team posted a letter detailing the upcoming changes and updates for the game that will be taking place over the next few months.

Letter from the Producer - July 19, 2024

Happy 3rd Anniversary, Trainers!
Thanks to the support of Trainers like you—who together are responsible for over 150 million downloads of Pokémon UNITE worldwide—we will be celebrating the game’s 3rd Anniversary.

For this year’s celebration, we’re bringing back various events and introducing a new Defender: Ho-Oh! We also have a few upcoming changes to share with you all.

The Legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh Appears!

Ho-Oh is coming to Aeos Island on July 19th! The legendary Rainbow Pokémon has feathers that glow in seven colors, and it is said to bring eternal happiness to those who see it. It’s the perfect Pokémon to celebrate our 3rd Anniversary with!

As a Defender, Ho-Oh is good at withstanding attacks from opponents. Its Unite Move, Rekindling Flame, revives allies that have been knocked out. A rainbow-colored feather will fall at the location of a knocked-out ally, and if Ho-Oh uses Rekindling Flame near it, it can revive that ally Pokémon on the spot! Even if all its allies are knocked out in the battle over Rayquaza during the final stretch of a match, Ho-Oh’s Unite Move can turn the tide by bringing them all back!

This powerful Unite Move is activated by consuming all of your Aeos energy. The more energy you consume, the more allies you can revive—so try to save your Aeos energy for the right moment!

When Ho-Oh arrives, you’ll have the chance to earn its Unite license through an event. Be sure to participate and experience its rainbow-colored power!

EX License Changes

When EX licenses were introduced in December of 2023, the intention was to express the strength of Legendary Pokémon in a way that is easy for anyone to experience. This categorization was introduced to not only help balance battles, but to add dimensionality to them by introducing weaknesses in exchange for strength.

After carefully reviewing the feedback we received from players via surveys, we found that the system was well received by new players and those unfamiliar with Pokémon. However, we also found that players wanted a more balanced experience and for the power level of EX licenses to be on par with Unite licenses. What’s more, some ranked seasons have restricted the use EX licenses, reducing the number of Pokémon that could be selected. We felt that this took away from the fun of battle.

Based on our findings, we have determined that EX licenses haven’t been adding the new dimensionality of fun to Unite battles that we were aiming for, and that a fundamental revision is necessary. Therefore, the EX license classification will be removed in the September 2024 update.

Together with this change, the following Pokémon will receive balance adjustments to help bring them more in line with the rest of the Pokémon UNITE roster:

• Zacian
• Mega Mewtwo X
• Mega Mewtwo Y
• Miraidon

We hope that you’re excited to bring even more of your favorite Pokémon into battle, and that you experience more balanced competition!

Balance Adjustments

We want to ensure that a diverse range of Pokémon are represented in a well-balanced battle environment. With a roster of over 60 Pokémon to choose from, some have unfortunately not received many adjustments, while others are seen as a staple in battles.

Because we want to make sure that everyone can play their favorite Pokémon, we will be making balance adjustments once a month, and making small adjustments in-between to ensure a fresh battle experience.

New Pokémon

We believe that the best way to drive change in Unite battles is by adding new playable Pokémon to Pokémon UNITE. While we introduced fewer Pokémon in 2024 than in previous years, we plan to pick up the pace following the 2024 Pokémon World Championships in August—so please look forward to having even more Pokémon join the Pokémon UNITE roster later this year!

A Final Word

As we celebrate our 3rd Anniversary, we want to thank all of you for the valuable feedback you’ve provided us so far. Your passion and continued support is important, and our team will continue to take on challenges in order to meet your expectations.

Thank you, everyone, for your passion, your enthusiasm, and your continued support of Pokémon UNITE. Here’s to another year of battles on Aeos Island!

Sincerely,
The UNITE team

Source: https://community.pokemon.com/en-us/discussion/12129/letter-from-the-producer-july-19-2024