Search results for The Pokemon Company
Games & Commerce
Pokemon Unite to end service on March 23, 2027
Pokemon Unite, an online battle game using Pokemon, will end service on March 23, 2027, about 5 years and 8 months after its launch. The shutdown applies to Nintendo Switch and mobile users, and access and online matches will no longer be available afterward. The Pokemon Company has halted sales of paid Aeos Gems and ended new sign-ups and auto-renewals for the Unite Membership. Farewell events and an update are planned, and a separate international tournament will be held.
Industry
Pikachu tours International Space Station after 67 days in orbit
The European Space Agency has released a video made with Pokemon showing an “astronaut Pikachu” introducing the inside of the International Space Station. The video, posted on ESA’s official YouTube channel for World Space Week on Oct. 4-10, features a specially made Pikachu plush taken to the ISS by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot. The plush stayed in space for 67 days, from April 11 to June 17, orbiting Earth about 1,040 times.
Crypto
Pokemon cards shift from collecting to investment, trade for millions of dollars
Pokemon cards are being traded like investment assets, with money that has profited from cryptocurrencies also flowing into the market. CNBC reported that rare cards trade for millions of dollars, while even regular products repeatedly sell out after release and are resold. Data cited by Collectors, which owns grading firm PSA, show prices rose 282% from 2004 to 2020 and jumped 1,350% since 2020, drawing short-term traders and ultra-wealthy demand.