Pokémon Unite received a major balance update on October 23, 2025, known as the Guardian Awakening patch (Version 1.20.3.10). This update brought significant changes to multiple Pokémon, adjusting their stats and moves to create a more balanced competitive environment. The patch went live at 7:00 AM UTC on that date, and players needed to restart their apps to apply the changes.
The Guardian Awakening update focused heavily on adjusting several key Pokémon that were either underperforming or dominating the meta. The developers made strategic changes to abilities, move cooldowns, damage output, and recovery mechanics to ensure that no single Pokémon became too powerful while also giving struggling characters the tools they needed to compete effectively.
Gengar received one of the most notable buffs in this patch. The developers enhanced Gengar’s Levitate ability by increasing the movement speed bonus from 10 percent to 20 percent. This change was designed to make it easier for Gengar to utilize its core strength of ambushing and knocking out opponents. With faster movement, Gengar players could position themselves more quickly and pursue weakened enemies more effectively. Additionally, Gengar’s Dream Eater move received a 12 percent increase to HP recovery, making it more viable as a sustain option during fights. The Sludge Bomb move also got a slight cooldown reduction from 8 seconds to 7.5 seconds, allowing Gengar to use this attack more frequently in combat situations.
Darkrai also received substantial improvements in the Guardian Awakening patch. The cooldown reduction stat was significantly increased, going from 5 percent to 10 percent at level 5, and from 10 percent to 20 percent at level 9. This change was particularly important because cooldown reduction is one of Darkrai’s key strengths, allowing the Pokémon to execute its combo attacks more frequently. Beyond the stat changes, Darkrai’s Dark Pulse move received both a cooldown reduction from 8 seconds to 7 seconds and a 20 percent damage increase. These changes combined to make Darkrai a more threatening presence in battles, with better ability to chain attacks together and deal consistent damage.
Blaziken received buffs aimed at improving its performance in close-quarters combat situations. The Blaze ability’s HP recovery was increased from 7 percent and 10 percent to 10 percent and 15 percent respectively. This meant Blaziken could sustain itself better during extended fights. The Blaze Kick move also received an enhancement to its hindrance effect, with the movement speed decrease increasing from 25 percent to 30 percent. This made it harder for opponents to escape from Blaziken once it closed the distance, improving the Pokémon’s ability to lock down enemies and secure kills.
The patch also included several bug fixes that addressed issues affecting gameplay balance and fairness. One significant fix involved the held item Rocky Helmet, which was incorrectly reducing the cooldown of Lucario’s Extreme Speed and Trevenant’s Natural Cure ability. This bug was corrected to ensure these Pokémon’s abilities worked as intended. Another bug fix addressed Meowscarada’s Flower Trick move, where the additional damage based on missing HP was being calculated before the move’s base damage, which was causing incorrect damage calculations. The activation range of Alolan Raichu’s Unite Move was also fixed to properly match the pre-activation indicator, preventing confusion about where the move would actually hit.
Beyond individual Pokémon adjustments, the Guardian Awakening patch brought other quality of life improvements and content updates. A new Battle Pass season began with this update, featuring the Dark Lord Style for Darkrai as a highlight cosmetic option. The shop and prize machine were supplemented with seasonal items and costumes, giving players new cosmetic options to customize their Pokémon. The patch also included changes to the Pokémon list screen, with the order of some Pokémon being reorganized for better navigation.
The map also received updates in this patch. The Sky Ruins map, which features the legendary Pokémon Groudon and Regieleki, saw a notable change where the countdown gauge for Regieleki’s spawn would now be displayed in yellow. This change made it easier for players to know when Regieleki would spawn for the first time, removing some of the strategic uncertainty that previously existed around this objective.
The balance philosophy behind the Guardian Awakening patch was clear: the developers wanted to create a more diverse and competitive meta where multiple Pokémon could viably compete at high levels. By buffing Pokémon that were underperforming and making targeted adjustments to moves and abilities, the patch aimed to reduce the dominance of any single character while giving struggling Pokémon the tools they needed to find their place in the competitive environment.
Players who experienced issues with the update, such as repeated update notifications or installation problems, were advised to restart their apps and clear their cache if necessary. The update was rolled out across all platforms including Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, ensuring that the entire player base received the same balance changes simultaneously.
The Guardian Awakening patch represented the kind of ongoing balance work that keeps Pokémon Unite fresh and competitive. By continuously monitoring how Pokémon perform in actual battles and adjusting their stats and moves accordingly, the developers could maintain a healthy meta where strategy and skill matter more than simply picking the strongest character. The changes to Gengar, Darkrai, and Blaziken, combined with the bug fixes and quality of life improvements, showed a commitment to creating an engaging and fair competitive experience for all players.
