November 27th will be a sad day for some Pokemon fans

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Although 2024 did not see any mainline Pokémon upcoming games, the mobile game Pokémon TCG Pocket has been immensely successful and is proving once again that the future of the franchise can be as much on mobile devices as it is on handheld consoles. This can be seen with titles like Pokémon GO taking the lead over the years, followed by other spin-offs such as Pokemon Masters EX, Pokémon UnitedAND Pokémon Sleep. However, 2024 was not good news for Pokémon fans, starting in the spring, when online services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U were shut down, leading some games to lose commercial features.




While mobile Pokémon the games continue to be successful and there seems to be no reason to worry that they may go out of business in the near future, this has happened for some games in specific regions. For example, Pokémon United will shut down completely in Belgium and the Netherlands towards the end of 2025, with in-app purchases ceasing in October this year. Unfortunately, already on November 27th Pokemon Masters EX will follow suit in a different region.

A promotional image for Pokemon Masters EX featuring several characters including Nessa, Dawn, Ghetsis, and Camilla.

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Pokemon Masters EX closing in one region on November 27 is sad news for fans

Why Pokemon Masters EX is supposedly shutting down in Vietnam

Pokemon Masters EX will be shut down in Vietnam on November 27, immediately breaking both in-app purchases and any gameplay functionality, making the title impossible to launch and play. While the reason seems to be different from that of Pokémon United closing in two European countries, a sad trend continues for 2024 that for some represents the end of an era Pokémon games. In 2024, several Pokémon games have experienced crashes or similar issues. The list includes:


This trend of shutdowns isn't necessarily something that will continue to happen, as the reasons for each act are different and perhaps not applicable to other regions or games. Yet, it will be another sad day when Pokemon Masters EX will close its doors in Vietnam on November 27, 2024, especially considering the relatively short notice.

It's worth noting that Pokemon Masters EX is apparently shutting down in Vietnam due to a local law requiring the games' parent companies to establish a local subsidiary. On the other hand, Pokemon Unite is shutting down in Belgium and the Netherlands due to regional policies regarding loot boxes and microtransactions.


Why the future of Pokemon Masters EX in Vietnam is uncertain

The end-of-service notice in the game states: “All features will continue to be available until the end of service. Additionally, the schedule is subject to change. We sincerely thank all players for your support. Even though time is short, We hope you continue to enjoy it Pokemon Masters EX during the remaining days.”, which gives no indication whether players will automatically receive or be able to request refunds for in-game purchases. A similar situation occurred when the Steam store was banned in Vietnam, perhaps for the same reasons as Pokemon Masters EX.

It is unclear whether things might change in the future, possibly with Pokemon Masters EX give up your publishing rights to a Vietnamese company or open a physical branch in the region. As it currently stands, however, players will unfortunately have to say goodbye to the game as early as November 27, 2024, or in just three days.

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