Pokemon Unite update out now (version 1.16.2.6), patch notes

Pokemon Unite has released its latest update, which is version 1.16.2.6.

Darkrai as a new playable character is the big highlight. On top of that though, an upcoming Halloween event is included and there are a ton of balance adjustments.

Here’s the full rundown:

Pokemon Unite update version 1.16.2.6 patch notes

Update Details

• Darkrai has joined the fray! You can participate in the event to obtain Darkrai or Holowear!
• Halloween Event (2024-10-19 to 2024-11-12):
  • During the event, you can complete Halloween missions and challenges to collect Halloween coins and exchange them for rewards from the Halloween capsule dispenser.
  • Participate in the event to exchange for rewards!
• Shop Updates
• Event Updates

Battle Updates

Changes have been made to some Pokémon stats and moves to adjust the balance of Unite Battles.

Alolan Ninetales

Due to a lack of mobility moves, limited self-defense options, and a not particularly long attack range, Alolan Ninetales has struggled to stand out compared to other Attackers, resulting in consistently low usage and win rates over a long period. In this balance adjustment, changes have been made to allow Alolan Ninetales to excel as an Attacker that supports the team and fights alongside allies on the frontlines. Its ability has been significantly buffed to better showcase its strengths in battle, and its defense and special defense have been increased to reduce the risk of getting close to opponents. Additionally, the cooldowns of Avalanche and Blizzard have been reduced, allowing these moves to be used not only for countering opponents but also for initiating attacks more effectively.

Stats

• Defense: 35-175 → 35-225 (Levels 1-15)
• Special Defense: 27-135 → 27-175 (Levels 1-15)

Ability: Snow Warning

• Cooldown: 8s → 4s

Avalanche

• Cooldown: 8s → 7.5s

Blizzard

• Cooldown: 8s → 7.5s

Machamp

The damage of Close Combat has been low, resulting in a continued low win rate, so it has been buffed.

One of Machamp’s most iconic moments is dealing massive damage by hitting multiple opposing Pokémon with consecutive punches during its Unite Move, Barrage Blow. However, previously the Unite Move had two stages—first boosting Machamp’s stats, then unleashing the consecutive punches. This gave opponents time to scatter after the first stage, making it very difficult to hit multiple enemies with the punches. With this adjustment, the Unite Move has been changed so that Machamp can immediately start throwing consecutive punches upon activation, making it easier to turn the tide of battle.

Close Combat

• Damage: 10% increase

Unite Move: Barrage Blow

• Mechanics change: Now immediately unleashes consecutive punches upon activation
  • Note: The move description will be updated at a later time.
• Stat boosts upon activation:
  • Before: Defense & Special Defense +200, Movement Speed +5%, Attack +30%, Duration 10 seconds
  • After: Defense & Special Defense +250, Movement Speed +10%, Attack +25%, Duration 8 second

Armarouge

In battles where Armor Cannon and Psyshock are learned, the damage output was higher than expected, while the hindrance abilities were lower than intended. Therefore, the damage of Armor Cannon has been reduced, and the cooldown of Psyshock has been adjusted to be shorter.

In battles where Fire Spin and Flame Charge are learned, Armarouge demonstrated more durability than expected. As a result, the shield amount from Flame Charge has been reduced. Fire Spin has been adjusted to replace its defense and special defense boosts with a shield effect, making the defensive benefit more visible to nearby players while slightly reducing overall durability.

Armor Cannon

• Damage: 10% decrease

Psyshock

• Cooldown: 8s → 7s

Flame Charge

• Shield amount: 50% decrease

Fire Spin

• (New) Increases movement speed when used, with further speed increases when moving towards opposing Pokémon.
•  (New) Each time the user deals damage, a shield effect is applied, which can stack up to 6 times.
• (Removed) Defense and special defense boosts on hit.

Fire Spin+

• (New) Grants a shield when using the move.
• (Removed) The movement speed boost upon hitting opposing Pokémon
• Fire Spin’s description has been updated as follows:
  • “Has the user generate a fierce vortex of fire around itself, dealing damage to opposing Pokémon it hits and increasing the user’s movement speed. When the user is moving toward Pokémon on the opposing team, its movement speed is further increased. Whenever the user deals damage, it receives a shield effect. This effect can stack up to 6 times.If the user hits opposing Pokémon with a basic attack, the duration of the vortex is increased.Upgrade: Grants the user a shield when this move is used.”

Charizard

The damage dealt across all move paths was higher than expected, so the additional damage from basic attacks on burned opponents has been reduced.

Charizard’s Unite Move, Seismic Slam, was made more versatile in a previous update, allowing it to be used on hindrance-resistant opponents, which improved its usability. However, this made the move stronger than anticipated, so the energy cost has been increased, extending the time it takes to become available. Additionally, Fire Blast’s crowd control effect was strong for an All-Rounder, so the slow effect has been nerfed.

Basic Attack

• Additional damage on burned opponents: 50% decrease

Fire Blast

• Movement speed reduction: 35% → 30%

Unite Move: Seismic Slam

• Energy needed: 20% increase

Urshifu

By optimizing held items and emblems, Urshifu was able to use Surging Strikes continuously without any downtime. To introduce more opportunities for counterplay between uses of Surging Strikes, the cooldown reduction from boosted attacks has been decreased. In return, the damage of Surging Strikes has been slightly increased.

Boosted Attack (Rapid Strike Style)

• Cooldown reduction: 2s → 1.5s

Surging Strikes

• Damage: 6-5% increase (Lv.5-15)

Blastoise

Blastoise has sufficient durability in the early stages of battles, but its endurance in the later stages has been lacking, resulting in a low win rate. To allow Blastoise to continue standing strong in front of allies as a Defender in the later stages, the growth rate of its defense and special defense has been increased. Blastoise’s durability during Rapid Spin has been significantly enhanced, enabling Blastoise to maintain the frontline more persistently than before.

Stats

• Defense: 100-600 → 100-650 (Lv.1-15)
• Special Defense: 70-420 → 70-455 (Lv.1-15)

Hydro Pump

• Cooldown: 7.5s → 7s

Surf

• Cooldown: 9s → 8.5s

Rapid Spin+

• Defense and special defense increase: 50% increase

Delphox

Due to consistently high usage and win rates in ranked matches, the damage of Mystical Fire and Fire Blast has been reduced.

Mystical Fire

• Damage: 8% decrease

Fire Blast

• Damage on hit: 10% decrease

Fire Blast+

• Damage on hit: 9% decrease

Snorlax

To ensure Snorlax can continue protecting allies by absorbing attacks from multiple opposing Pokémon in late-game team fights, the defense and special defense increases provided by Block+ have been buffed. Additionally, the win rate and usage rate of the combination of Flail and Yawn were low, so both moves have been buffed.

Block+

• Defense increase: 25% → 35%
• Special Defense increase: 25% → 35%

Flail

• Movement speed increase duration: 2s → 3s
• Movement speed increase amount: 70%-30% (decreases by 10% every 0.5s) → 80%-40% (decreases by 10% every 0.5s)

Yawn

• Cooldown: 12s → 10.5s

Dragapult

When learning Phantom Force, Dragapult could quickly become too strong by stacking multiple KOs early in the battle, disrupting the balance. To address this, the attack increase gained from KOs has been reduced.

Phantom Force

• Attack increase per KO: 10 (up to 10 times) → 6 (up to 10 times)

Lucario

When Extreme Speed fails to hit its target, it would enter cooldown and leave Lucario unable to participate in battles for a long period, making it difficult to contribute. To help Lucario rejoin the battle more quickly, the cooldown has been buffed.

Extreme Speed

• Cooldown: 9s → 7.5s

Gyarados

Frequent engagements using Bounce and the high damage output from Dragon Breath’s quick basic attacks have led to an excessively high win rate. To address this, the frequency of Bounce and the overall damage output have been reduced.

Dragon Breath

• Attack speed increase: 60%, 80%, 100% → 40%, 55%, 70%

Bounce

• Cooldown: 7.5s → 8.5s
• Damage: 10% decrease

Mamoswine

Despite being a Pokémon that becomes stronger in the later stages of battle as a Pokémon that evolves twice, Mamoswine had too much power in the early game, so Icicle Crash has been nerfed. Additionally, the crowd control duration when using moves like Earthquake, Ice Fang, and boosted attacks were too long, so the cooldown of the engage move, Earthquake, has been increased.

Earthquake

• Cooldown: 7.5s → 9s

Icicle Crash

• Damage of the 1st to 3rd hits: Approx. 10% decrease

Zoroark

Zoroark’s win rate across all move sets has been low, so the damage of its primary moves has been buffed.

Feint Attack

• Damage: 9% increase

Night Slash

• Cooldown: 9s → 8s

Dragonite

After evolving into Dragonite, the frequency of stunning opponents with boosted attacks from Outrage became too high, allowing Dragonite to attack with little opposition, disrupting the balance. To provide opponents with more opportunities to counterattack or escape before being KO’d, the damage and crowd control effects of Outrage have been nerfed.

Boosted attack

• Duration where enemies are unable to act (electric): 0.6s → 0.5s

Outrage

• Damage from boosted attacks: 10% decrease

Cramorant

The short cooldown and high rotation rate of Dive have allowed Cramorant to combine excessive damage with high mobility, resulting in a consistently high win rate. To reduce both its damage output and mobility, the cooldown of Dive has been increased.

Dive

• Cooldown: 1.5s → 2s
• Recovery time for charges: 5s → 6s

Bugfixes

• Fixed an issue where Tsareena’s Unite Move, Queen Ascendant, would fail when used on Charizard in hindrance-resistant status due to its Unite Move, Seismic Slam.

Pokemon Unite is available on the Switch eShop and mobile with the version 1.16.2.6 update. We have more coverage on Darkrai’s addition here.