Fourth Anniversary Celebration in Pokémon Masters EX

As summer comes to an end, it’s time to celebrate the fourth anniversary of Pokémon Masters EX. This mobile game is the fourth title in the Pokémon franchise to have a special anniversary event this summer, following Café Remix, Go, and Unite.

Pokémon Masters was initially announced in May 2019 and was launched three months later on August 29, 2019. The game instantly gained popularity, with over five million trainers pre-registering and 10 million players joining within the first four days. In its first month alone, the game generated $33 million in revenue for developer DeNA.

The Journey of Pokémon Masters EX

The first anniversary of Pokémon Masters EX introduced the “EX” moniker to the game. By that time, over 20 million people had downloaded the game, resulting in $75 million in revenue. However, the game’s growth slowed down after that and took three more years to double its installation base. In May of this year, Pokémon Masters EX finally reached 50 million installs, coinciding with its first collaboration with the Nintendo Switch game Pokémon Legends Arceus.

During the recent Pokémon Presents event, the first Scarlet and Violet characters were announced as a surprise addition to the Masters gacha. This collaboration between the mobile and Switch platforms sparked renewed interest among players. Now, for the fourth anniversary, DeNA is going back to the game’s roots by releasing time-limited versions of the original protagonist Red and rival Blue, now known as Neo Champions.

The trio is completed by Leaf, who mirrors their first anniversary appearance alongside Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur. To celebrate the fourth anniversary, they have new outfits and are accompanied by legendary Pokémon from the Game Boy era: Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres.

Exciting Anniversary Events

After the fourth anniversary event concludes, it is uncertain when these special characters will be available in the gacha again. The celebration also includes rewards of premium currency, free gacha pulls, a limited-time side story focused on Red, Blue, and Leaf, and an update to the main story.

Another feature introduced in the game’s first anniversary is the addition of EX Roles. This provides certain Pokémon with an extra power-up when they use a specific move in battle. It follows the introduction of 6 Star EX upgrades at the first anniversary, which also led to the name change of the game.

Continued Success of Pokémon Franchise

In 2022, The Pokémon Company earned a staggering $11.6 billion from its licensed products alone, showcasing the ongoing popularity and success of the franchise.