How to Spectate in Pokemon Unite

Following its announcement on June 24th, 2020, Pokemon Unite garnered a lot of hype and many Pokemon fans were looking forward to the Free-to-Play MOBA that would soon be available on Nintendo Switch and Mobile platforms.

Pokemon Unite launched on July 21st and fans were more than pleased with the game, saying that the gameplay was fun and surprisingly addictive. It packs an expansive roster, including fan favorites like Charizard, Pikachu, Garchomp, and Gengar. Pokemon Unite even gives the spotlight to some less popular Pokemon such as Wigglytuff, Slowbro and Cramorant.

Even with all of this content, fans were still wondering where some key features were. This included the spectator mode, which was data-mined through the game's files. Well, after weeks of waiting, the feature has arrived and fans can access it by following a few steps.

Accessing Pokemon Unite's Spectate Feature

Much like any other game in the MOBA genre, Pokemon Unite has competitive ranked matches which put players against each other for in-game ranking points to climb the competitive ladder to claim their spot as the best of the best.

The spectate feature in Pokemon Unite (Image via Nintendo)

For players looking to get serious on the competitive scene, it often helps to see the professionals and highest ranking players in action to learn effective strategies, see different synergies of held item combinations, and find out which moves are the best for a certain Pokemon they are looking to learn how to play.

Luckily, Pokemon Unite comes with an in-game spectating feature for everyday users to watch these highly skilled players compete head to head. To access this feature, players can follow these simple steps:

1. Access the Main Menu: This is a fairly simple step, as most players have to go to the main menu whenever they want to play matches, access their items, go to in game shops, look at the Pokemon they have unlocked and many more of Pokemon Unite's features.
2. Press the X Button to open the Menu: When players press the X button on their Joy-Con or Pro Controller when they are on the main menu, another side menu will open up on the side of the screen revealing many more options like trainer customization and the item box where all the player's collected held and battle items are stored.
3. Select the 'Spectate" Option: Located on side menu opened from pressing the X button, there will be an option towards the bottom labeled "Spectate."

And it's that simple! From the "Spectate" menu, players can choose to watch ranked battles, standard battles, or quick matches. Spectating matches and watching more experienced players play is always a great way to learn and recognize gameplay patterns in any game and Pokemon Unite is no different.