Pokémon Masters EX is a strategy and battling game where players form teams of sync pairs (the combination of a Trainer and their partner Pokémon) to engage in 3-on-3 real-time battles against AI opponents.

The game takes place in an all-new location, the island of Pasio, where Trainers and their partner Pokémon from every known Pokémon region will gather to compete.

Players can still preregister for Pokémon Masters to automatically download the game to their device when it launches later this summer.

DeNA has kicked off a one-year anniversary celebration for Pokémon Masters with the release of a new CGI trailer, Instagram and Facebook filters, new in-game content and events, and more.

To signify how much the game has changed and evolved since its release, its title has been changed from Pokémon Masters to Pokémon Masters EX.

Over the past year, the game has received several major updates, such as the ability to hatch Pokémon Eggs and new game modes like the Battle Villa, a one-player gauntlet-style survival mode, Legendary Events, where players can obtain Legendary Pokémon, and Legendary Arenas, where players can face-off against extremely powerful Pokémon. More story chapters, Pokémon evolutions, character upgrades, and over 50 sync pairs have also been added to the game.

DeNA also announced that the following content updates are now available or coming soon to Pokémon Masters:

• New Game Mode – Champion Stadium: The Kanto Challenge has begun! In the Champion Stadium, players can take on Lance, Lorelei, Bruno, and Agatha of the Kanto Elite Four, as well as the Kanto Champion, Blue. The true challenge of this game mode lies in having to defeat them all in five consecutive battles with a limited number of sync pairs. Once a sync pair has participated in a battle, it can not battle again while the challenge is underway, making it crucial for players to have an arsenal of powerful sync pairs. The Champion Stadium is available now to players who have completed Chapter 10 of the Main Story. In the future, Elite Four members and Champions from other regions of the Pokémon world will also come to the Champion Stadium.

• Iconic Trainers Don Their Sygna Suits – Red & Charizard, Blue & Blastoise, Leaf & Venusaur: Sygna Suits are special outfits that Trainers can wear into battle on the island of Pasio. Sygna Suit versions of Blue and Leaf will make their debut in the game, while Sygna Suit Red will return for the first time since the game’s Six-Months Celebration in February 2020. All three sync pairs will be available to add to players’ teams via their own character-specific sync pair scouts, available now until September 27 at 10:59PM Pacific Time. Each of these three sync pairs possess the skill to mega-evolve during battle, as well as the ability to increase their Potential rating from 5★ to 6★ EX, an ability otherwise only shared by Rosa & Snivy at this time. A new trailer highlighting Sygna Suit versions of Red & Charizard, Blue & Blastoise, and Leaf & Venusaur can be found here on the official Pokémon Masters

• Professor Oak & Mew Return: When Professor Oak & Mew first debuted during the Six-Months Celebration in February 2020 and were available to add to players’ teams, this was the first time ever that players could battle as Professor Oak. In celebration of the game’s one-year anniversary, Professor Oak & Mew will return to the game until further notice, joining players’ teams once they complete Chapter 2 of the Main Story.

• Grass, Fire, and Water-Type Egg Event: This event lets players earn Pokémon Eggs, which can be hatched into Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle. All Pokémon hatched from Eggs can be paired with the game’s Main Character to battle alongside one another. When Pokémon Eggs were first introduced to the game in April 2020, players were given the choice between hatching Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle. The Grass, Fire, and Water-Type Egg event provides players with their first opportunity to hatch and team up with the two partner Pokémon that they did not choose. This event is available from September 2 at 11:00PM Pacific time until September 16 at 10:59PM Pacific time for players who have completed Chapter 1 of the Main Story.

• Certain Sync Pairs Can Now Reach 6★ EX Potential: Until now, sync pairs could only reach a 5★ Potential rating. With the game’s one-year anniversary update, certain sync pairs can now reach a 6★ EX Potential rating, which increases the strength of their sync moves and also provides them with an optional new EX-style outfit to wear. The sync pairs that can currently increase their Potential rating to 6★ EX include Sygna Suit Red & Charizard, Sygna Suit Blue & Blastoise, Sygna Suit Leaf & Venusaur, and Rosa & Snivy. More sync pairs will be able to increase their Potential rating to a 6★ EX in the future.

• One-Year Anniversary Bonuses – Receive up to 6,000 Gems: Players that have completed Chapter 1 of the Main Story can receive up to 6,000 Gems, enough to add up to 20 sync pairs to their teams, by participating in a number of login challenges available from now until September 13 at 10:59PM Pacific time. Players that login to the game a single time during this period will receive a one-year anniversary bonus of 3,000 Gems. Players can also receive up to an additional 3,000 Gems if they login to the game every day during this period.

Pokémon Masters EX is available worldwide as a free-to-start game with in-app purchases on compatible Android and iOS devices. The game will be available in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese.