Pokemon Unite Reveals How It Avoids Rage Quits

Ever since "Pokémon Unite" was first announced, fans have been on board for this free-to-play Switch title. Anyone who's spent a good amount of time playing has probably noticed that there isn't a scoreboard, though. That isn't the norm, of course — "League of Legends," "Dota 2," and most other MOBAs typically give the player some method of viewing the score during a match. "Pokémon Unite" is unique in that players have to wait until a match is over before they know whether they've won or lost. It turns out there's a reason for that.

One of the biggest strengths of online gaming — particularly when it comes to MOBAs — is also one of the biggest drawbacks: other people. There's nothing more frustrating than being in the middle of a round and finally managing to eke out a lead, only for a few members of the opposing team to rage quit and take away your victory. By that same token, it can be really disheartening for members of your own team to leave any time you're a few points down. 

TiMi Studio Group didn't want players to give up any time that victory wasn't a sure thing. The developer came to the conclusion that players are less likely to abandon the game if they don't know the score. And it seems like this move has really paid off for the developer.

Sure, "Pokémon Unite" has had its fair share of issues. Bots have caused complications with matchmaking and players have criticized some of the more pay-to-win aspects of its gameplay, but it turns out that rage quitting is markedly lower in "Unite" than in many other MOBA games.

Even so, TiMi Studio Group hadn't commented on this success until recently. Kotaku contacted "Pokémon Unite" producer Masaaki Hoshino, who shared his thoughts on what made the devs decide to leave off the scoreboard and let the players battle in ignorance. "The matches last 10 minutes and players have the possibility of making a comeback," he said in an email. "So we wanted people to play without giving up to the very end." 

Nobody likes to lose, but it's usually better to push through without giving up and maybe pick up an idea or two for how to play better in the next round — and you might still be able to win, even if it looks hopeless. And with "Pokémon Unite" matches being shorter than in many other MOBA titles, it's a bit easier to hang in there to see things through.