5 strongest Pokemon Unite licenses in current meta (April 2023)

Zacian was the first "box legendary" Pokemon to arrive in Pokemon Unite as the mascot of Pokemon Sword.
Zacian has skyrocketed in popularity in Pokemon Unite since its debut (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Pokemon Unite has had a strong start to 2023, introducing many new playable Unite Licenses encompassing various in-game roles. The meta for the MOBA title has shifted substantially, with some of the game's latest additions rising to the top for their effectiveness.

When it comes to the best Unite Licenses in Pokemon Unite's meta, the answer depends on which player is being asked.

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However, based on competitive tournaments and the top esports teams' license choices, a consensus has been built surrounding the best playable Pokemon currently residing in the game.

Obviously, future patches and updates may shift the meta even further, but for the time being, the best options in the game have come into fairly clear focus.

Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer


Sableye and other consensus-best Unite Licenses in Pokemon Unite as of April 2023

1) Greninja

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The perfect hybrid between ranged and close-quarters combat, Greninja is one of the best attackers in Pokemon Unite, if not the very best outright. It possesses blinding movement speed on par with many of the game's Speedsters and can deal high burst damage both at range with Surf and in melee, thanks to its high attack stats.

Greninja may not be incredibly durable, but it has escape mechanics like Smokescreen to allow it to scamper away from battle or set up confusion to secure a gank.

Greninja isn't the easiest license to use in Pokemon Unite, but once trainers have mastered its gameplay, it can be incredibly hard to stop.


2) Zacian

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Almost immediately after its debut in Pokemon Unite, many players remarked that Zacian was incredibly broken and was almost a guaranteed lock in most team compositions.

Although it did receive a nerf recently, Zacian remains one of the most capable All-Rounders in the current meta. The nerf reduced Zacian's capability to rack up eliminations in the early game, but its ability to reset its own cooldowns and deal heavy AOE damage in the late game still makes it a force.

Zacian isn't a perfect creature in Pokemon Unite, as it has a slow movement speed and can only equip two held items. However, if players build it correctly and know its movesets inside and out, it can still dominate Unite Battles in the mid-to-late game.


3) Sableye

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Sableye may not be the most conventional Supporter in Pokemon Unite, but it has nonetheless dominated the meta in its role since its release.

In lieu of healing its allies, Sableye can cause an immense amount of havoc by sneaking around the map and disrupting opponents with stuns and crowd-control effects. Its Unite Move, Chaos Glower, is an incredibly hard-hitting stun that can force opponents to recall back to base, giving the creature the ability to completely shift the flow of a team fight or a lane push on its own.

Despite it not being able to heal or shield allies, Pokemon Unite players would be hard-pressed not to give Sableye a look if they want to disrupt and stunlock opponents.


4) Urshifu

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Urshifu may not have been met with the hype that some Unite Licenses received, but it has blossomed into a versatile All-Rounder in Pokemon Unite.

Thanks to its ability to switch between its Single Strike and Rapid Strike attack styles, Urshifu can alternate between being a sustain-based brawler and a fierce attacker capable of piercing enemy shields. Although this makes Urshifu a great choice to fill out a team's composition, trainers using it should be aware that it doesn't have combo capabilities to speak of and has incredibly low mobility.

Despite these drawbacks, Urshifu remains a huge upside to any team it joins, especially when played at a high level.


5) Azumarill

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Another fantastic All-Rounder in Pokemon Unite, Azumarill is a magnificent one-on-one fighter thanks to its passive ability, Huge Power. As long as it is attacking a singular target, all of its hits deal critical damage. The downside is that when the Pokemon attacks multiple targets, it can't deal critical hits at all.

Despite the limitations of Huge Power, Azumarill is still one of the best options for securing objectives solo and taking out isolated opponents.

As an All-Rounder, Azumarill is also gifted with great durability. Plus, its Unite Move, Belly Bash, charges at a quick rate. As long as players keep it out of group engagements, this Pocket Monster can be an absolute menace.

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