Pokémon Unite developer explains why the scoreboard is hidden

Pokémon Unite, the free-to-play MOBA from The Pokémon Company and Tencent Games’ owned TiMi Studios, continues to chug along. It was first released on the Nintendo Switch in July. The game then made its way to mobile devices in September. Seasonal updates brought new additions such as Gengar, a spacesuit, and Blastoise, a very dapper Blastoise.

However, the costumes are just part of the experience. The game features a competitive atmosphere that is perfect for top-down arena games.

At its core, it’s a rather approachable game: You play on 5v5 teams, each collecting points that you can deposit in an opposing team’s goal. The matches last 10 minutes and can become one-sided depending on your experience with MOBAs.

It is possible for the end result of a match to surprise you, as the score cannot be seen during active matches. Only the ending score will be visible. In lieu of a specific score board, players get pinged with generalized messages like “We have a huge lead!” and “We’re REALLY struggling!”

Ethan Gach, Kotaku’s reporter, asked these questions during a conversation with developers Pokémon Unite’s producer, Masaaki Hoshino, why the scoreboard is not visible to players.

“The matches last 10 minutes and players have the possibility of making a comeback, so we wanted people to play without giving up to the very end,” Hoshino said.

The lack of scoreboard stops people from giving up and quitting — makes sense. You can find out more at In Pokémon Unite, mechanics like beating Zapdos — which can significantly lower the time it takes to score — can change the tides very quickly. Insta-score can be shifted by just one to two opponents who are hoarding points. If you don’t know the score, then you don’t give up too soon.

Although being told that your team is “REALLY struggling” might not be the epitome of encouraging, it could be better than just watching a large gap become even larger.