The Pokémon UNITE end of service is now official. The Pokémon Company announced on Tuesday, October 27, that the franchise's MOBA will shut down worldwide on March 23, 2027, at 00:00 UTC (8 p.m. ET on March 22) on both Nintendo Switch and mobile. After that moment, players will no longer be able to log in or play matches.

Some changes are already live: Aeos Gem sales and new UNITE Club memberships were switched off today. Before the lights go out, the game still has a farewell event, a Library feature that preserves each account's history and one last competitive tournament in Tokyo.

Official Pokémon UNITE mosaic artwork from the game's Japanese website
Mosaic artwork from the official Japanese Pokémon UNITE website. The game goes offline on March 23, 2027. Image: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon UNITE end of service: what was announced

The official end of service notice went up on the game's website and on Pokémon's support portal. It is brief: it confirms the date and lays out the schedule, but offers no reason for the decision. It also says nothing about a successor or another online battle game in the series.

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Developed by Tencent's TiMi Studio Group, Pokémon UNITE launched on Switch on July 21, 2021 and arrived on mobile that September, with progress shared across platforms. It was the series' first real bet on 5-on-5 team arenas and earned a spot at the Pokémon World Championships. By the time servers close, it will have run for a little over five and a half years.

What happens to Aeos Gems, UNITE Club and your purchases

  • Aeos Gems: sales stopped on October 27, 2026, at 05:00 UTC. Gems already in your account can still be spent until the final day of service.
  • UNITE Club: new sign-ups are closed and automatic renewals have been paused. Current members keep their perks until their active membership period ends.
  • Refunds: the official notice does not mention any refunds for gems or items already bought.

In practice, anyone sitting on a gem balance should plan to use it before March. Nothing in the notice suggests unspent gems will be worth anything once the servers are switched off.

Official Pokémon UNITE artwork promoting its 5-on-5 team battles
Pokémon UNITE's 5-on-5 team battles remain playable until March 23, 2027. Image: The Pokémon Company

Farewell event, the Library and Aeos Crown 2027

An update on November 12, 2026 brings a special event that lets players obtain items that have appeared in the game before, including Pokémon UNITE licenses and Holowear outfits. For collectors, it is the last chance to fill the gaps.

The same update adds the Library, a place to look back at your account's records and content. It stays available after shutdown, but only if you finish downloading the Library data before March 23, 2027. The company warns that this data generally cannot be moved between devices, and support for it ends with the service.

On the competitive side, the game gets one final stage: the Pokémon UNITE Aeos Crown 2027 Tokyo, with qualifiers starting on December 5, 2026.

Official Pokémon UNITE promotional artwork featuring playable Pokémon
Official promotional art for Pokémon UNITE, the free-to-play game on Switch and mobile. Image: The Pokémon Company

What to do before Pokémon UNITE shuts down

  1. Now: check how many Aeos Gems you have and decide where to spend them, since you cannot buy more.
  2. From November 12: play the special event to grab any licenses and Holowear you are missing.
  3. Before March 23, 2027: download the Library data on every device where you want to keep your history.
  4. March 23, 2027, 00:00 UTC: logins and online matches end.

The Pokémon UNITE shutdown caps a rough October for the industry, which already saw EA close BioWare. Switch owners still have new releases to look forward to, such as Nintendo Switch Sports Resort. Players Realm will keep tracking the farewell event and Aeos Crown 2027 until the servers go dark.