In May we learned from a DeNA financial briefing that the developer had teamed up with The Pokémon Company to release a smartphone game based on the Pokémon license, and today the studio has unveiled new details about this upcoming title. It's called Pokémon Masters, and apparently, it's a 3v3 real-time strategy battle game that will land on Android sometime this summer.

If you enjoy collecting digital content, then you're going to love Pokémon Masters, but instead of collecting Pokémon, you will have to obtain many different trainers. The trailer above details the fact that trainers will be matched with certain Pokémon types, so if your trainer comes from a grass region on the new Island of Pasio, then they should be paired with a grass type Pokémon. Essentially you'll adventure around this island collecting trainers to form 3-person teams that will battle other teams of trainers in waves, much like you would in MARVEL Strike Force and the endless number of clones already available on the Play Store.

Plenty of fanservice is expected, as you will run into many of the notable trainers from the mainline series, but so far few other details have been provided. We still don't know how the game will be monetized, but if I had to take a guess it seems pretty clear that Pokémon Masters already exudes the majority of hallmarks of a free-to-play mobile game. So far the only date provided for the release is a tentative "summer 2019," and we still don't know exactly how many Pokémon will appear in the title, though it looks like many different generations will be included that span from Red and Blue all the way up to Sun and Moon.

We've known about the existence of Pokémon Masters for a little while now, but it's still nice to have a name to put to the game, along with a better idea of how it will play. While I would have much preferred something a little more original than yet another strategy-based battle game, I have no doubt the majority of Pokémon fans will dive into this release with gusto whenever it lands this summer. Hopefully, DeNA will provide a closer look at the upcoming release before that day arrives so we'll have a better idea of exactly what to expect.

Source: Pokémon Masters, YouTube

PRESS RELEASE

UPDATE: 2019/07/18 11:01am PDT BY MATTHEW SHOLTZ

New co-op trailer for Pokémon Masters

Now that we know that Pokémon Masters is coming to Android sometime this summer, it makes sense that The Pokémon Company would trickle out new details every so often to keep fans interest in the game. A new trailer just arrived on the official Pokémon Masters website that covers the game's co-op gameplay, along with a few other details. This co-op gameplay allows for three players to team up online to take on AI opponents together through coordinated attacks, and a 3v3 competitive mode is also expected that will see teams facing off against one another. Players will also be able to compete in the Pokémon Masters League tournament where they'll face off against a few familiar faces from the series. So if you're eager to see these new features in action, make sure to watch the trailer above.

  • Cooperative Play – Join two players from around the world for three-player co-op against AI opponents. Work together to unleash the unity attack, a special coordinated attack from all three sync pairs (a sync pair is the combination of a Trainer and their partner Pokémon).
  • 3-on-3 Real-Time Battling System – Witness the thrill of the 3-on-3 real-time battling system. The trailer offers a look at Trainers teaming up with their partner Pokémon to unleash powerful sync moves.
  • Pokémon Masters League – Compete in the Pokémon Masters League tournament, which features 3-on-3 battles that take place only on the artificial island of Pasio. In this tournament, Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, Champions, and all-stars from every region of the Pokémon world have formed sync pair teams. Players will battle these teams all across Pasio to obtain badges and become champion of the Pokémon Masters League.
  • Sygna Suits (not pictured in trailer) – Special outfits that Trainers can wear into battle. When Trainers wear a Sygna Suit, their partner Pokémon changes to match. For example, when Brock dons his Sygna Suit, he teams up with Tyranitar instead of Onix.