| Pokémon Masters Pokémon Masters EX | |
|---|---|
 Game icon | |
| Developer | DeNA |
| Publisher | DeNA |
| Directors | Katsuyuki Shiga Noriaki Murakami |
| Producers | Yu Sasaki Tetsuya Iguchi |
| Designer | Yuichi Kanemori |
| Programmer | Kazumitsu Ota |
| Artist | Ken Sugimori |
| Writers |
|
| Composers | Haruki Yamada Shota Kageyama |
| Series | Pokémon |
| Platforms | Android,iOS |
| Release | August 29, 2019[note 1] |
| Genre | Role-playing |
| Modes | Single-player,Co-operative multiplayer |
Pokémon Masters EX[a] (originally namedPokémon Masters) is afree-to-playgachamobile game forAndroid andiOS developed and published byDeNA.[1][2] It is based on thePokémon 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 namedPokémon Masters and released in August 2019,[3] it was renamedPokémon Masters EX in August 2020 on the first anniversary of the game.[4][5]
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.
InPokémon Masters, a sync pair is a pair consisting of onePokémon Trainer who had previously appeared in the core games or the anime series and onePokémon (usually one that is best associated with that character, e.g.Ash Ketchum 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, restoringhealth points, and increasing thestats of the whole team; and tech sync pairs, which are focused on different tactics, such as inflictingstatus effects. 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 characters who play a minor role 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.
Pokémon Masters was first announced byThe Pokémon Company on May 28, 2019, alongside some otherPokémon games.[6] It represents the first collaboration between the company and mobile game developerDeNA, it had been released forAndroid andiOS.[7] The concept of the game came from series artist and designerKen Sugimori who proposed the idea of having all past characters from themain series together in one game.[2]
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.[8][9]
In commemoration of the game's first anniversary,Pokémon Masters was updated with new features asPokémon Masters EX on August 28, 2020.[10]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 63/100[11] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Nintendo Life |   [12] |
Pokémon Masters EX received "mixed or average reviews" according to the review aggregatorMetacritic.[11]
Within four days of its global release,Pokémon Masters has been downloaded 10 million times and recorded $10 million in revenue.[13] Within its first week, the revenue figures were increased to $26 million.[14] In its first month, the game generated $33 million in revenue and $75 million within its first year.[15][16]
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