Pokémon UNITE is shutting down. The Pokémon Company and developer TiMi Studio Group announced on October 27 that the free to play team battler will end service on March 23, 2027, at 00:00 UTC on both Nintendo Switch and mobile. In US time zones that is the evening of Monday, March 22: 5 PM PT, 7 PM CT, 8 PM ET. The cash shop already closed this morning, so if you still play, a few things now have deadlines.
Quick answer
- Last day: service ends March 23, 2027 at 00:00 UTC (March 22 at 7 PM CT). After that you cannot log in or battle
- Aeos gems: sales stopped October 27 at 05:00 UTC (midnight CT). Gems you own still work until the end
- UNITE Club: no new sign ups and auto renewal is off. Current members keep perks until their period runs out
- Farewell event: starts November 12 at 04:00 UTC (November 11 at 10 PM CT) with a Unite Coin Exchange for past licenses and Holowear
- Library mode: lets you view your collection offline after shutdown, but only if you download its data before March 23
What the farewell update adds
The November 12 update brings Unite Coins, earned through a daily log in bonus and missions that pay out for wins in ranked and other modes. You spend them in the Unite Coin Exchange on items that have appeared before, including Unite licenses, Holowear, Trainer fashion and Unite snapshot items.
How the library feature works
The same update adds a library that keeps working after the servers go dark. You will be able to swap Holowear and license art, walk the Practice Area to see moves and effects, change Trainer outfits, take Unite snapshots and view achievements and tournament results. The data downloads when you play normally after November 12 or open the library once. Miss that first download before the shutdown and the library will not work. Library data generally does not move to a new device.
Battle items, held items and boost emblems become view only, so the official advice is to finish merging emblems and upgrading held items before March 23.
The refund catch
Here is a detail most coverage misses. The Japanese end of service notice on the official Pokémon UNITE site promises refunds for unused paid Aeos gems after shutdown, through a form inside the game. Bonus gems and UNITE Club gems do not count, and players are told not to delete the game until the refund is done. The English notices on Pokémon.com and Pokémon Support say nothing about refunds, and the game’s terms of use rule them out unless local law requires one. If you are outside Japan, assume your gems are worth nothing after March 22 and spend them.
What still happens
The Japanese notice confirms the Pokémon UNITE Aeos Crown 2027 Tokyo tournament goes ahead as planned, with qualifiers starting December 5, 2026. Pokémon UNITE launched on Switch on July 21, 2021 and on mobile on September 22, 2021, so it will close about five years and eight months after launch.
Our take
Closing the store on the same day as the announcement is blunt, but the free licenses and the offline library are more than most shut down live service games get. For players in Japan, the paid gem refund is the fair move. Players everywhere else deserve the same answer, and right now they do not have one.
For more Pokémon news, see our look at the Pokémon TCG Pocket booster pack cycle.
Sources: Pokémon.com, “Special Event and Library Feature Added to Pokémon UNITE”, the Pokémon Support end of service notice and schedule, the official Japanese notice and @PokemonUnite on X.
Image: The Pokémon Company / TiMi Studio Group (Pokémon UNITE).
