The Pokémon Company shuts down Pokémon Unite as Tencent's MOBA nets just $75m

The Pokémon Company will end Pokémon Unite service on March 23, 2027. TiMi Studio Group's MOBA generated an estimated $75m in gross revenue since 2021. Japan supplied 29% of that revenue from only 5% of its 127.4m downloads. Brazil and India delivered 28% of downloads combined but far less revenue share.

Japan's revenue share dwarfs its download share
Japan accounted for just 5% of Pokémon Unite's 127.4m global downloads.
Yet Japan generated 29% of the game's estimated $75m lifetime revenue.
Brazil and India each supplied 14% of downloads, the largest install bases.
High-volume markets did not convert into proportional spend over six years.

Benelux exit coincided with loot box restrictions
Pokémon Unite ended service in Belgium and the Netherlands in November 2025.
GamesIndustry.biz linked the exit to loot box restrictions in both countries.
Its Prize Machine mechanic required paid currency for randomized cosmetic items.
Belgium bans loot box sales outright; the Netherlands has pursued a ban since 2023.

Esports exit preceded the global shutdown
The Pokémon Company already dropped Pokémon Unite from Pokémon Championships events.
The Aeos Crown 2027 Tokyo tournament still proceeds, with qualifiers from December 5.
No reason was disclosed for the global March 2027 shutdown.
Six years after its 2021 launch, Tencent's MOBA experiment with Pokémon ends.
What this means
For Publishers & Developers: Build licensed-IP live-service forecasts on per-country payer conversion, discounting high-install, low-ARPU regions.
For Investors & VC: Add single-market revenue concentration and randomized-monetization legal exposure to live-service diligence.
For Service Vendors: Pitch direct-purchase cosmetic store redesigns to gacha-dependent clients facing EU gambling-law market exits.