Back in May, we heard the first rumblings about a new Pokémon game coming to Android from the likes of DeNA, and in June it was revealed to the world that Pokémon Masters would be coming to Android this summer. Since June The Pokémon Company has been slowly trickling out new trailers to keep fans interested in the upcoming release, and as of last night, Pokémon Masters popped up on the Play Store as a pre-registration listing.
Above you can watch the first of six new trailers that were released today to accompany the new pre-registration listing for Pokémon Masters on the Google Play Store. The first video offers an overview of the entire game, and the rest of the trailers delve into individual game mechanics, such as your moves, battling, sync pairs, and training. It would also appear that a preview version of Pokémon Masters should launch on supported Android devices in Singapore starting today, and will come to Canada sometime soon. Those that get a chance to preview the game will be treated to select content from the title before it's launched worldwide. All save data from this trial period will carry over to the official release, and it's recommended that your device supports Android 7 and contains at least 2GB of RAM.
We already know that the release of Pokémon Masters should take place sometime before summer is over, and if you venture on over to the Apple App Store listing, you'll notice that the expected release date for iOS is August 29th. While Android and iOS release dates can differ, this info should provide a loose outline of when to expect the Android launch. Sadly there are still no details that cover how the title will be monetized, though both the Play Store and App Store point towards a free-to-play release that will contain in-app purchases.
With the release of a pre-registration listing on the Play Store it would appear that we are nearing closer to the official launch of Pokémon Masters on Android. While I can't say that I feel excited about yet another MARVEL Strike Force clone, I suppose Pokémon fans will be happy enough with an official game on mobile that actually offers something a little closer to the mainline series than the majority of mobile Pokémon titles. I do not doubt that Pokémon Masters will find a lot of success once it is officially available, though I have to wonder if its monetization will impact its gameplay. I suppose we'll just have to wait for the official release to know for sure.
PRESS RELEASE
TOKYO — July 23, 2019 — DeNA Co., Ltd., in partnership with The Pokémon Company, began opening pre-registration today for Pokémon Masters on Google Play and the App Store. Pokémon Masters is a strategy and battling game where players form teams of sync pairs (the combination of a Trainer and their partner Pokémon) to engage in 3-on-3 real-time battles against AI opponents. The game takes place in an all-new location – the island of Pasio, where Trainers and their partner Pokémon from every known Pokémon region will gather to compete. Players who pre-register for the game will receive a notification when it launches later this summer.
Google Play (Android): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dena.a12026418
App Store (iOS): https://apps.apple.com/app/id1442061397
A new series of six gameplay trailers was also released today on the official Pokémon Masters YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/PokemonMastersGame) to provide fans with a deeper look into the world of Pokémon Masters and its major gameplay features. These trailers include:
An overview of the game’s battle and progression systems
A preview of the Story Mode, including a look at the Pokémon Masters League (PML), a tournament that takes place only on the island of Pasio
How to evolve Pokémon in this game and the special powers that come with evolution
A look at the unique features of cooperative play, such as the ability to switch between sync pairs during battle
How to build the perfect team based on each sync pair’s strengths and specific role (Strike, Support, Tech), as well as how to add new sync pairs to your team
In addition, a preview version of Pokémon Masters will launch on supported Android devices in Singapore starting tomorrow and will be coming soon to Canada. In the preview version, players in these regions will be able to enjoy select content from the game before it launches worldwide without needing to pre-register on Google Play. All player progress during this time period will be saved and carried forward to the final version of the game.
Pokémon Masters will be available worldwide as a free-to-start game with in-app purchases on compatible Android and iOS devices, with release planned for summer 2019. The game will be available in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese. Fans can learn more about Pokémon Masters at https://pokemonmasters-game.com/en-US.
They can also stay tuned to the official social media channels on Twitter (https://twitter.com/PokemonMasters), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/PokemonMastersGame), and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/pokemonmastersgame), as well as the official YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/PokemonMastersGame) for upcoming news about the game.