Pokemon Unite has finally ended a long era with a brand-new release, adding Morpeko to the game for the first time. Though 2026 is the 30th anniversary of the Pokemon franchise, it brought sad news for Pokemon Unite fans, as the game will no longer be supported at the World Championships after this year. The game was part of the World Championships 2026, but the finals before the closing ceremony were a bittersweet moment for fans and casters alike. Still, the game will keep on being actively supported, and it may be in a much better state after September and October 2026.
Pokemon Unite gave away free rewards for its anniversary this year, alongside a long event with four Legendary Pokemon making their debut. Despite the game adding almost 20 new Pokemon this year alone, some roles remain quite underrepresented, to the point that only a small part of the roster makes up for them. For example, the All-Rounder role is taken up by 35 Pokemon on the roster, and another 27 are Attackers. Instead, only 13 are Defenders, and even fewer are Speedsters. Luckily, Morpeko fixes that.
Pokemon Unite Officially Adds New Speedster After 7 Months
Pokemon Unite‘s Morpeko is only the second Speedster of the year, coming seven months after the last, which was Meowth on January 9, 2026. Although Pokemon Unite is considered one of the best MOBAs to play on mobile, it has a more diverse cast in terms of actual Pokemon than roles. Morpeko is only the 12th Speedster overall, with its most recent predecessors being Meowth (2026), Galarian Rapidash (2025), and then Meowscarada (2023). The role rarely gets new additions, and it was almost two full years between Meowscarada and Galarian Rapidash. Luckily, not only is Morpeko a new Speedster, but it will be followed by Jolteon in October 2026 as another Speedster.
Pokemon Unite‘s Galarian Rapidash is a Ranged Speedster, and it’s the only one of its kind. As such, while Morpeko is a welcome addition to the roster for Speedster fans, it’s yet another melee Pokemon, and Jolteon will follow suit. Even within the least represented roles, there can be some issues, and it’s clear now that fans will have to wait quite some time before another ranged Speedster is added to the game, considering the long spans of time between each Speedster and the fact that all three Speedsters in 2026 are ranged. Still, Morpeko is a fun addition because it features its iconic Full Belly vs. Hangry form mode, giving players another tool to control the critter in battle. Its Hungry Supercharge Wheel move is also similar to its signature move from Gen 8, Aura Wheel, having different effects based on its form when used.
Pokemon Unite added Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres this year, alongside Palkia, Reshiram, Yveltal, and Solgaleo, meaning that a huge chunk of the roster for 2026 is made up of Legendary Pokemon. Following Morpeko will be Toxtricity, Jolteon, and Flareon, though the exact release date for the latter two is unknown.
There were critters dedicated to all roles in Pokemon Unite on launch, but some roles were clearly more or less represented than others. This carried on, and now, Supporter is going to be the least-represented role in the game when Jolteon comes out, with only 12 Pokemon available.
