When does Tyranitar release for Pokemon Unite?

To commemorate Pokemon Unite's one-year anniversary, The Pokemon Company will be releasing a bevy of new playable Pokemon for the MOBA title. Glaceon is already available, Buzzwole will be arriving on August 3, and Tyranitar will be the last of the first wave before three additional Pokemon are released in September.

As Pokemon Unite's anniversary event continues, the developers have confirmed the official release date for Tyranitar. The Rock/Dark-type Pokemon will be released on August 15, 2022, after Buzzwole's release on August 3. Tyranitar's specific time of unlocking is 12:00 am PT, 3:00 am ET, and 7:00 am UTC. However, additional details on the Pokemon have been scarce at best, leading many members of the community to the Public Test Server.

---

How will Tyranitar play in Pokemon Unite?

Tyranitar in Pokemon Unite's anniversary release schedule (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Since Glaceon is currently the only new anniversary Pokemon to have been released in Pokemon Unite, details about Tyranitar are quite sparse in contrast. However, recent videos released by the game's community have appeared to confirm that Tyranitar will be an All-Rounder Pokemon like its counterparts Azumarill, Charizard, Lucario, Dragonite, and Machamp. This makes sense, as Tyranitar sports high endurance as well as a respectable damage potential. Conversely, its lack of speed in the Pokemon franchise makes the Generation II Pokemon a poor fit for roles like Speedster.

Like many Pokemon choices in Pokemon Unite, Tyranitar possesses two previous evolutions. Trainers will need to defeat wild Pokemon and opposing players in order to accrue experience and evolve Larvitar into Pupitar before it finally becomes Tyranitar.

All of its moves are still being revealed, but test footage has shown that Tyranitar will be capable of using moves such as Sand Tomb and Stone Edge. Other moves such as Ancient Power and Dark Pulse have also appeared in test footage. For its Unite Move, Tyranitar will have access to Tyrannical Rampage.

It appears from Public Test Server releases that Tyranitar will be a slow-scaling Pokemon, similar to Dragonite, meaning it will take a longer time to evolve the Pokemon to completion. However, slowly evolving is hardly a downside, as once trainers have evolved it, Tyranitar is likely to be a force to be reckoned with. This Pokemon also scales its damage and abilities with the attack stat, making held items such as Muscle Band a natural fit in its trainer-set item loadouts.

While it still hasn't been released publicly, all indications seem to point toward Tyranitar being a very punishing bruiser that should hold up well in team fights. It's currently unclear as to whether this particular All-Rounder Pokemon will be more proficient in the lane or in the jungle, but it may even be adaptable enough to suit both roles.

The only thing that is known for sure is that this fan-favorite Pokemon should see plenty of attention once it is fully released on August 15. Trainers will want to keep an eye on this powerful creature when it finds its way into the Unite arena, as underestimating it may lead to a quick KO.