Check out the latest from Pokémon UNITE: Draft Pick mode stability fix update; Battle Pass Season 38; & New Fashion + Holowear

Check out all the latest updates from Pokémon UNITE in this roundup!

Sirfetch’d arrives on Aeos Island​

Main article: Sirfetch’d announced as the next Pokémon to join the fray in Pokémon UNITE

Sirfetch’d has been announced as the next Pokémon to join the fray in Pokémon UNITE — It will be available to play from January 30th. Sirfetch'd is a Melee All-Rounder that does Physical damage, with Expert difficulty.

Draft Pick Mode Stability Fixes​

After Draft Pick mode was temporarily suspended due to instability and facing frequent crashes, an update hoping to fix this issues will be rolled out on January 27th, at 7:00am (UTC). After the stability is confirmed, Draft Pick is expected to resume as soon as possible.

The original announcement about the suspension of Draft Pick can be read below:

Hello, Trainers,
Thank you for playing Pokémon UNITE.
Currently, the game application is experiencing instability, specifically resulting in frequent crashes (forced termination) before battles begin in Draft Pick.
We sincerely apologize for the significant inconvenience and frustration this has caused many of our Trainers.
We would like to report on the cause of this issue and our future course of action.

■ Issue and Cause​

Our investigation has revealed that the direct cause of this phenomenon is data processing exceeding the device's memory capacity during gameplay.
Specifically, this is caused by a combination of the following factors:

• Data that should be released is accumulating in the memory across various parts of the game.
• The Draft Pick screen processes a large amount of data, leading to high memory usage.

The combination of these factors exceeds the device's load capacity, leading to crashes.

■ Current Status and Actions Taken​

We have implemented fixes in several past updates; however, we have not yet achieved a complete resolution of the crashes.
We are continuing to identify and fix areas where unnecessary data accumulates and are working on optimizations to reduce the memory used in Draft Pick.

■ Future Action Plan​

We plan to release an update in late January to further improve stability.
However, to prevent disadvantages caused by game crashes, and to ensure that everyone can participate in Ranked Matches with peace of mind as soon as possible, we have decided to take the following action:

• We will change the settings so that Draft Pick will not occur in Ranked Matches until the update aimed at improving stability is released.

Please note that the duration may be extended depending on the progress of the fix. In such a case, we will update users on the situation.
We deeply apologize to those who were looking forward to the strategic gameplay unique to Draft Pick for failing to meet your expectations and for the inconvenience caused.
The entire operations team will continue to do our utmost to improve game stability. We appreciate your understanding and continued support.
The Pokémon UNITE team

The full announcement about the fixes and planned update can be read below:

Trainers,
Thank you for playing Pokémon UNITE.
Regarding the issue reported in our previous announcement regarding app crashes (forced termination) and the subsequent temporary suspension of Draft Pick in Ranked Matches, we would like to provide an update on the current status and our future schedule.

■ Current Status​

For the upcoming update, we have implemented fixes to optimize the processing logic and reduce the load in areas where data processing exceeded the device's memory capacity, as noted in our previous report.
While we have confirmed an improving trend in performance within our development environment, we will continue to closely monitor the situation in the actual gameplay environment after the update is released. We remain committed to making further improvements and fixes to ensure stability.

■ Future Schedule​

We plan to release an update aimed at improving game stability on January 27 at 07:00 (UTC)

■ Resumption of Draft Pick​

Regarding Draft Pick in Ranked Matches, which is currently suspended, we will resume the mode promptly as soon as we confirm the game's stability in the actual gameplay environment following the update on January 27.
We deeply apologize for the extended inconvenience. Our team remains fully committed to ensuring a stable environment where you can enjoy Unite Battles without worry. We ask for your continued patience until Draft Pick returns.

The Pokémon UNITE team

January 27th Update Patch​

The January 27th Update Patch will also feature Balance Adjustments for Meowth and Bug Fixes alongside the Stability Improvements. The full patch notes can be read below:

Update Details​

• Game Stability Improvements
• Balance Adjustments
• Bug Fixes

Game Stability Improvements​

In this update, we have implemented fixes to optimize processing logic and reduce the load in areas where data processing was exceeding device memory capacity. While we have observed performance improvements in our development environment, we will continue to closely monitor the live environment following this update. We remain committed to further improvements to ensure stability.

Resumption of Draft Pick​

We plan to resume Draft Pick in Ranked Matches as soon as we confirm the game's stability in the live environment following this update.

Recommendations for Smoother Gameplay​

Game performance may slow down depending on device memory usage, particularly during long play sessions or when multiple apps are running in the background. To ensure the best performance and smoother battles, we recommend restarting the app periodically. We appreciate your cooperation in doing so between matches or if you notice any sluggishness.

Balance Adjustments​

To adjust the balance of Unite Battles, Pokémon stats and moves have been changed.

Meowth​

Feint Attack

• Damage: 26%–32% decrease
• Shield effect: 18%–22% decrease

Fury Swipes

• Cooldown reduction for Payback and Feint Attack per damage hit: 15% → 7.5%

The damage and shield effect of Feint Attack, which allows Meowth to jump at opponents from a distance and attack, were too high. Combined with the ability to significantly reduce cooldowns using Fury Swipes, its damage output, mobility, and durability were all too strong. To balance it with other Pokémon, the damage and shield of Feint Attack have been reduced, and the cooldown reduction effect from Fury Swipes has been lowered.

Bug Fixes​

The following bug has been fixed.

• Fixed a bug where Empoleon's attacks would not hit Darkrai during the duration of Darkrai's Unite Move.

Trainer Icon Event ongoing​

Until February 4th, players can participate in battles to obtain Trainer Icons featuring Mewtwo, Slowbro, Snorlax, and Mamoswine.

Battle Pass Season 38​

A new Battle Pass for Season 38 will be available to buy in Pokémon UNITE from next week. This Battle Pass runs from Friday, January 30th, 2026, and features "Fairy Tale Style: Galarian Rapidash". New trainer outfits and background and frames will also be available.

Check out the Battle Pass promotional video below:

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New Trainer Fashion Set​

• Cherry Blossom Set (Deep Blue): Available from Premium Event Pass till January 29th
• Super Suit Set (Psyduck): Available from Lucky Ice Pops event till February 26th
• Steampunk Set (Ho-Oh): Available from Treasure Chest Challenge till February 12th

New Holowear​

• Steampunk Style: Ho-Oh: Available from the Treasure Chest Challenge till February 12th
• Oasis Style: Inteleon: Available from the Treasure Chest Challenge till February 4th
• Neo Street Style: Darkrai: Available from the Treasure Chest Challenge till February 12th
• Neo Street Style: Ceruledge: Available from the Prize Machine till February 26th
• Space Style: Gengar: Available from the Prize Machine till February 26th
• Pokébuki Style: Suicune: Available via Battle Pass Season 37
• Fairy Tale Style: Galarian Rapidash: Available via Battle Pass Season 38
• Dark Hero Style: Charizard: Available via the Treasure Chest Challenge till February 12th
• Theater Style: Sylveon: Available via Prize Machine till March 8th