(originally named ''Pokémon Masters'') is a

free-to-play "Free-to-play" ("F2P" or "FtP") video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content for free. The term "free-to-play business model" or simply, "free-to-play model", refers collectively to business models tha ...

''gacha''

mobile game A mobile game is a video game that is typically played on a mobile phone. The term also refers to all games that are played on any Mobile device, portable device, including from mobile phone (feature phone or smartphone), tablet computer, table ...

for Android and

iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...

developed and published by

DeNA is a Japanese provider of mobile portal and e-commerce websites headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. It owns the Mobage cell phone platform and also operates other services, including the e-commerce website DeNA Shopping (formerly: Bidders). H ...

. It is based on the ''

Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...

'' media franchise. Set on the artificial island of Pasio, the game allows players to battle and recruit various prominent Pokémon Trainers from the main series games and anime. Originally named ''Pokémon Masters'' and released in August 2019, it was renamed ''Pokémon Masters EX'' in August 2020 on the first anniversary of the game.

Gameplay

There is a tournament of 3-on-3 battles being held on Pasio Island called the Pokémon Masters League. The main goal is to become its Champion. To enter the Pokémon Masters League, players must collect at least five Badges by defeating the PML Leaders located in Pasio. When recruiting most sync pairs, the player can unlock a sync pair story. Players can also participate in limited-time events which are regularly added and updated. Events feature both single-player story events and also co-operative multiplayer events in which players must team up to defeat powerful enemies in order to receive event rewards and prizes.

Sync pairs

In ''Pokémon Masters'', a sync pair is a pair consisting of one Pokémon Trainer who had previously appeared in the core games or the anime and one

(usually one that is best associated with that character, e.g.

Ash Ketchum Ash Ketchum, known as in Japan, is a character in the ''Pokémon'' franchise owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. He was the protagonist of the ''Pokémon'' anime for the first 25 seasons, as well as the protagonist of several mang ...

being paired with his Pikachu). Each sync pair has one of five roles: the initial three were strike sync pairs, which are focused on attacking (and are either classed under physical or special); support sync pairs, which are focused on defending, restoring

health points Health is a video game or tabletop game quality that determines the maximum amount of damage or fatigue something takes before leaving the main game. In role-playing games, this typically takes the form of hit points (HP), a numerical attribute ...

, and increasing the stats of the whole team; and tech sync pairs, which are focused on different tactics, such as inflicting

status effects In role-playing games, a status effect is a temporary modification to a game character’s original set of stats that usually comes into play when special powers and abilities (such as spells) are used, often during combat. It appears in numero ...

. August 2023 added two additional roles: sprint sync pairs, which are focused on attacking quickly; and field sync pairs, which are focused on triggering field effects. Sync pairs can be recruited by playing the main story, through scouting or by completing certain timed events. Occasionally, a character will get a variant of themselves (usually to tie in with specific timed events), which usually sees them wearing an alternate costume that also pairs them up with a different Pokémon to which the costume is usually themed, though "variety" Sync Pairs will give an characters who play in minor roles in core series such as Team Rocket Executives and do not give the character an alternate costume though the character is given a different Pokemon.

Development and release

''Pokémon Masters'' was first announced by

The Pokémon Company , simply known as Pokémon is a Japanese company responsible for brand management, production, publishing, marketing, and licensing of the ''Pokémon'' franchise, which consists of video games, a trading card game, anime television series, f ...

on May 28, 2019, alongside some other ''Pokémon'' games. It represents the first collaboration between the company and mobile game developer

, it had been released for Android and

. The concept of the game came from series artist and designer

Ken Sugimori is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, mangaka, manga artist, and Video game director (disambiguation), director. He is best known as the primary character designer and art director for the ''Pokémon'' franchise. Sugimori is also credi ...

who proposed the idea of having all past characters from the main series together in one game. A preview version of the game was released in Singapore on July 25, 2019, and in Canada on August 6, 2019. The game was released worldwide on August 29, 2019, for iOS and Android phones. In commemoration of the game's first anniversary, ''Pokémon Masters'' was updated with new features as ''Pokémon Masters EX'' on August 25, 2020.

Reception

''Pokémon Masters EX'' received "mixed or average reviews" according to the review aggregator

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

. Within four days of its global release, ''Pokémon Masters'' has been downloaded 10 million times and recorded $10 million in revenue. Within its first week, the revenue figures were increased to $26 million. In its first month, the game generated $33 million in revenue and $75 million within its first year.

References

Notes

External links

* {{Nintendo mobile games 2019 video games Android (operating system) games Cooperative video games DeNA Free-to-play video games Gacha games IOS games Multiplayer and single-player video games Masters Video games developed in Japan Video games set on fictional islands Video games with gender-selectable protagonists