Latest Pokémon news: Unite’s next playable character gets a release date, Pokémon fans save big on Black Friday

Who doesn't like a discount?

Two Urshifu in Pokemon Sword and Shield
Screengrab via Nintendo

It’s official; the latest entries in the Pokémon franchise have been out for exactly a week now, and the hype surrounding Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

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While players all around the globe continue to partake in Scarlet and Violet’s first event, there was plenty else to celebrate today—especially for Unite fans and anyone who enjoys online shopping (don’t we all?). Between Black Friday deals and the imminent arrival of Unite‘s next playable character, today was a big one for fans of the franchise, regardless of which title you call your favorite.

Pokémon Unite confirms release date for its first playable Legendary, Urshifu

Eagle-eyed fans were quick to spot an in-game teaser for Pokémon Unite’s next playable character, Urshifu, today. While data miners previously unearthed information on the Legendary Pokémon’s arrival in the game, TiMi Studio Group confirmed the character’s release date with the new six-day countdown screen in Unite.

This countdown sets Urshifu’s arrival in the MOBA for Dec. 1 alongside Unite’s next battle pass and ranked season. Urshifu is a Fighting-type Legendary species and comes in two different forms that add either the Dark or Water typing, depending on the form. Both forms were included in the in-game teaser, suggesting they’ll both be paths for players to pursue if they pick Urshifu in the game.

Urshifu’s arrival will mark the first time players will be able to play as a Legendary Pokémon in Unite. There are a few Mythical Pokémon—not to be confused with the Legendary subclass, which is a distinct, yet similarly rare and powerful grouping of species in the Pokémon universe—in Unite already, including Mew, Zeraora, and Hoopa.

Urshifu’s playstyle has yet to be confirmed by the game’s developer, although data miners previously found evidence to suggest the Legendary Pokémon will be a physical attacker.

Pokémon fans celebrate Black Friday deals

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet may have just released, but they’ve already seen their first price drop on third-party retailers just in time for Black Friday. The discount was from retailer Shopto and saw the price drop of the games down to $43.91 from the standard $59.99.

Other Black Friday discounts included eShop gift cards on Amazon and a bundle sale that included both games from the new generation of Pokémon, as well as a Nintendo Switch OLED console.

Although these sales will likely be ending soon, some retailers online have started to extend their sales through the weekend after Black Friday and into Cyber Monday, the first Monday after Thanksgiving in the United States. Keep your eyes peeled for any additional Pokémon-themed deals over the next few days.

Scarlet and Violet players team up across the world for limited-time Eevee Tera Raids

Image via The Pokémon Company

It’s been a full 24 hours since Game Freak introduced the first Tera Raid Battle event in Scarlet and Violet. Aptly named the Eevee Spotlight, this event increased the appearance rate of Eevee in Tera Raid Battles around Paldea. Players across the world have been teaming up to take down the Kanto species to find the perfect Eevee to add to their teams.

Related: What is the best Eevee Tera Type in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?

The event will continue throughout the weekend until 5:59pm CT on Nov. 27. This window should give players enough time to take on plenty of Eevee Tera Raids to find the perfect nature and Tera type for their preferred Eeveelutions.

If you’re still on the hunt for your ideal Eevee, make sure your Nintendo Switch Online subscription is active and check back to the Tera Raids section of the Poké Portal often to find as many Eevee Tera Raids as possible.

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Rachel Samples
Managing Editor. In 2018, Rachel graduated from the University of Texas with a bachelor’s in Rhetoric and Writing and first entered the esports industry in the same year. Her favorite games include indies, deckbuilders, and the entire Mass Effect franchise. Need any calibrations?