What are the match rules for Pokemon Unite?

POKEMON UNITE RULES

LAST UPDATED: October 28th, 2024

1.1 Match Procedure

• Tournament Teams
  • A “team” will consist of 5 Players and up to 5 allowable substitutes for a total of 10 players per roster. Multiple teams from each eligible institution will be allowed to participate in the tournament.
• Set Length
  • All tournament sets will be played best-of-3 games.

2.1 Game Rules

• Patch: All Games will be played on the current patch available on the Live Service. 
• Game Lobby Setup: The designated “Home Team” will be expected to set up the Lobby. Lobby information should be communicated through the “Match Chat” channel on the Vanta Platform.
  • The home team will share the Lobby ID that can be found at the top of the screen for the other team to join.
• Mode: Tournament Mode
• Game Type: Draft Pick
• Map: Theia Sky Ruins (Draft Pick)
• Team Size: 5
  • No AI trainers are allowed in a match. If a team does not have all 5 players, then they will play down however many players they don’t have. If they’re down 1, then it will be a 4 v 5 match.
    • In the event of a 4v5, please play CUSTOM MODE, and run the draft manually through the chat. Please ensure to be paying attention to the chat so that it moves as quickly as possible.
    • This is ONLY in the event of a 4v5, and we highly recommend that all teams play the expected 5v5.
• Custom Rules Enabled:
  • All held items at max grade
  • All held items unlocked
  • All Unite licenses unlocked
  • All battle items unlocked
  • Servers selection should be set to Auto
• Side Selection: The “Home Team” will select either “Purple” or “Orange” side for Game 1. The losing team will then get first choice of side selection for the remaining 1 or 2 games in the series.  
• Draft Errors: In the event of an erroneously-selected Pokemon pick or ban, the team in error must notify their opponents immediately. Restarts in this situation are recommended to maintain good sportsmanship but are not required due to potential time restrictions. Ensure your team is paying attention to who they are selecting in their draft phase.
• Stoppage of Play:
  • Each team is permitted one “Pause” per match in the event of a disconnection or hardware/software malfunction. 
  • Pauses may last no longer than 5 minutes regardless of the status of the originally impacted player. 
  • Teams are required to ensure both sides are “Ready” in the chat prior to lifting the pause. 
  • Teams that use an unauthorized pause will be considered to be using an exploitable bug and will forfeit that game. 
• Remake Procedure: In the event of a server crash that impacts all ten players, the game may be remade. Picks and bans must stay consistent with the previous iteration of the game, and the rest of the game will be played out in full. 

3.1 Character Selection

• It is recommended to play prior to your first match to ensure that you have enough characters unlocked for official matches.
• New Pokemon/Pokemon that have undergone Major Reworks: Pokemon categorized as either “New” or “Major Reworks” will be restricted for two weeks from their release on live service. Restricted Pokemon are not allowed to be played in league play. Once the two-week period has passed, restrictions will lift and those champions will be eligible for play. 
• Banned Pokemon:
  • Scyther
  • Scizor
  • All EX Pokemon

4.1 Reporting

• Score Reporting Format: Scores will be reported in “Win/Loss” format. Teams will indicate the number of games won by each team, final scores should be one of the following: 2-0 or 1-1
• Forfeits: Forfeits will be considered a 2-0 win for the team that showed up to play. 

For more information about our general competition rules, please click here.