Galarian Rapidash’s Nerf in Pokémon Unite is Delayed Due to Unforeseen Issues

Pokémon Unite developers ran into problems trying to implement a patch that includes a nerf for Galarian Rapidash, allowing the Pokémon to dash away from it. According to the developers, the update will be pushed back.

A Pokémon Unite update that contains balance updates and matchmaking updates is being pushed back to a later date because of unforeseen issues from the developers. The developers did not share the new date for the patch.

This update contains a nerf from the most powerful Pokémon in Unite recently, Galarian Rapidash.

The supposed nerf is as follows:

Pastel Veil

• Shield amount: 20% decrease
• Effect granted: Unstoppable → Hindrance Resistance
• Psychic Counter accumulation speed: 50% decrease

Basic Attack

• Damage: 10% decrease

Dazzling Gleam

• Damage: 15% decrease
• Movement speed increase upon hitting an opponent: 33% decrease

Smart Strike

• Duration of inability to act: 0.8s → 1s

Fairy Wind

• Reduced the bonus damage granted by Pastel Veil.
• Increased damage when movement speed is low.
• The total damage when the movement speed is sufficiently high remains unchanged.

Agility+

• HP recovery: 2% of max HP every 0.5s → 2% of lost HP every 0.5s

The combination of Dazzling Gleam and Agility has been overwhelmingly dominant in both pick and win rates. This adjustment aims to maintain Galarian Rapidash’s playstyle of high-speed map control while reducing its excessive damage, survivability, and healing capabilities. Meanwhile, Fairy Wind and Smart Strike, which had low win and pick rates, have been improved to enhance their usability.

Aside from this, matchmaking was also supposed to receive updates, mainly Ranked Matchmaking.

Matchmaking Updates

Changes have been made to the matchmaking system for Ranked Matches. Below is an overview of the current mechanism and the adjustments being implemented.

Matchmaking Mechanism

In Ranked Matches, the system pairs 10 players using the following process:

Roles

• When matchmaking begins, players are randomly assigned one of two roles: Host or Client.
• The Host creates a matchmaking lobby and searches for nine waiting clients in the matchmaking queue.
• Clients remain in the queue until selected by a Host.

Specific Process

• The Host searches for Clients with a Master Rating within a specific range.
• If 9 Clients cannot be found within a set time, the Host gradually expands the search range to include a wider rating difference.
• The search range expands step by step until a match is successfully made, with a limit on the maximum allowable rating difference.
• Once 10 players have been matched, they are divided into teams of 5 players each to ensure similar average rating values. If pre-made groups exist, the matchmaking system ensures that both teams maintain the same composition (e.g., 2+1+1+1 vs. 2+1+1+1).

Changes and Expected Effects

To create a fairer competitive environment, we are reducing the rating range that hosts search for and slowing the speed of the search range’s expansion. This will ensure that players with similar ratings are matched more consistently. Due to the significantly reduced rating difference, matchmaking times may be longer. Therefore, this change will be implemented on a trial basis in select regions where matchmaking has been stable. Five-player teams are excluded from this adjustment, as it would make matchmaking for entire teams considerably more challenging. After implementation, we will monitor matchmaking times, and if we observe any negative impact on the gameplay experience, we may revert the changes immediately.