This Knock-Off Pokémon Game is Blowing Away Fans, But Doesn’t Deserve Your Support (UPD)

A trailer for Let’s Go Pokémon Mobile, an unofficial Pokémon game made by a Chinese development team, has been making the rounds on the internet today. The way it synced Pokémon to their attacks, such as Blastoise shooting water out of its cannons, has impressed fans who have long settled for Game Freak’s more bland animations that are hit-or-miss when it comes to matching a sprite to its actions.

UPDATE 2: There are unverified reports that this game can steal sensitive data from your phone. Please do not trust companies that are willing to steal assets—good sign they’re not an entity to trust.

The game will no doubt be taken down by The Pokémon Company if they’re able, and we don’t suggest supporting companies who steal assets and intellectual property, but for now many are enjoying watching the development of the title.

UPDATE 1: Just to be clear, we do not recommend playing this even if it becomes available. They have stolen assets created by Game Freak instead of creating something original. We’re using this game to illustrate points of contention within the community.

Pokémon Sword & Shield has already faced criticism for the lack of compatibility with all Pokémon and what some fans have called lackluster graphics. This may further stoke controversy since an unofficial game developer has been able to implement some features that Game Freak has been unable or unwilling to do.

Let us know what you think of this new game and how it compares (in your estimation) to the battles we’ve seen in Sword & Shield! Then join us on Discord for ongoing chat about the upcoming titles.

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