About two weeks after launch, Pokémon Unite is getting its first real patch on August 4. Before you ask, yes, the character select menu will still have a heart attack every time you sort through your monsters. There’s nothing in the patch notes addressing the fact that the most unstable part of the game is looking through a dang menu. But otherwise, nearly every creature has some sort of tweak.
Prior to the patch Eldegoss, an ostensible support character, was often decked out by players with Wise Glasses and the Shell Bell, alongside the trusty with a Muscle Band. The loadout jacked up the puffball’s special attack, which in turn pumped up its already strong healing factor. And then, to add insult to injury, the grass type’s basic attacks now hit harder and faster with this setup. The meta developed shortly after launch turned Eldegoss into an uncharacteristically aggressive pick that could, at the same time, heal and buff everyone.
Well, every single move in the Eldegoss arsenal has been downgraded. But I’m hesitant to say it’s been nerfed. Cotton Spore’s defensive capabilities have increased, and the Japanese patch notes also say Cotton Spore had “the effects on ally and opposing Pokémon…strengthened,” which suggests that TiMi merely wants you to play Eldegoss as intended, as more of a support healer. But seeing a baby-faced flower destroy its opponents in a 3-on-1 was amusing for two weeks that it survived.
Elsewhere, the apparently overpowered Gengar has had its oft-favoured Hex move downgraded. I wish I could tell you what that actually means, but in typical Nintendo fashion, some of the patch notes are infuriatingly vague. Likely, the change is meant to address the fact Hex could be abused to torment your enemy. If your target has a status effect — which it probably does if you’re running literally any other Gengar move — the damage is increased, and the cooldown is shortened. Clips of Gengar decimating entire teams by itself were common during the initial launch window, so this change isn’t surprising in the least.
I am an unusual Gengar player who did not run Hex, and fortunately for me, those other moves have actually had their damage increased. Regardless of this change, though, it appears that Gengar’s speed and status as a glass cannon remain intact.
Perhaps the funniest change to me, however, is that Charizard is getting buffs across the board. Prior to the patch, Charizard was just OK. Capable, sure, but you weren’t likely to hop into a match and see a dominating Charizard. That reality was probably not ideal for the dragon-lookin’ thing that is widely regarded as the coolest Pokémon ever by the community and treated as such in many mainline Pokémon games. But now more people actually have a reason to try Charizard!
The most baffling change: Talonflame’s unilateral power boost. Already, the fire bird was adept at being a strong attacker that could eradicate HP bars, and I fear for what will soon be possible soon.
And the biggest actual absence? Zeraora’s discharge is completely untouched. After some matches where Zeraora has been able to completely ignore an opposing Unite move via Discharge shields, alongside its ability to decimate multiple enemies while it’s getting ulted by strong attackers…sheesh.
The full patch notes are below.
Charizard
Flamethrower:
- Cooldown reduced.
- Effects on opposing Pokémon strengthened.
Fire Punch:
- Effects on opposing Pokémon strengthened.
Fire Blast:
- Cooldown reduced.
- Effects on opposing Pokémon strengthened.
Talonflame
Acrobatics:
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
Aerial Ace:
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
Aerial Ace+:
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
Fly:
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
Venusaur
Sludge Bomb:
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
- Effects on opposing Pokémon strengthened.
Petal Dance:
Move Upgrade
Solar Beam:
Cooldown reduced.
Unite Move: Verdant Anger
Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
Absol
Basic Attack:
Bug Fixes
Night Slash:
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
Sucker Punch:
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
Wigglytuff
The following stats have been increased:
Defence, Sp. Def, HP
Double Slap
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
- Effects on opposing Pokémon strengthened.
Sing
- Effects on opposing Pokémon strengthened.
Dazzling Gleam
Bug Fixes
Eldegoss
Cotton Guard
Cooldown lengthened.
HP restoration decreased.
Cotton Spore
- Cooldown reduced.
- Effects on opposing Pokémon strengthened.
- This move’s Defence, Sp. Def increase has been strengthened.
Unite Move: Cotton Cloud Crash
HP restoration decreased.
Cinderace
The following stats have been decreased:
Attack
Blaze Kick
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon decreased.
Feint
Move Downgrade
Pyro Ball
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
Gengar
Basic Attack
Bug Fixes
Shadow Ball
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
Hex
Move Downgrade
Dream Eater
Move Upgrade
Zeraora
Spark
Bug Fixes
Wild Charge
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
- Cooldown reduced.
Unite Move: Plasma Gale
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon decreased.
Cramorant
Whirlpool
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon decreased.
Dive
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
Machamp
Basic Attack
Bug Fixes
Cross Chop
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon decreased.
Close Combat
- Damage dealt to opposing Pokémon increased.
Lucario
Power-Up Punch
Bug Fixes
Bone Rush
Bug Fixes
Greninja
Basic Attack
Bug Fixes
Alolan Ninetales
Snow Warning
Bug Fixes
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