It's been a year and a half since the release of Pokemon Masters, the mobile gacha game that sees fans obtaining not just Pokemon but the Trainers that own them. In that time, the game has only grown, with even more characters from across the franchise's history, additional features like hatching eggs, and even a name change to Pokemon Masters EX (which infamously led to a funny but inappropriate hashtag).
While it's still six months until the second anniversary, developer DeNA has decided to hold what it's calling the 1.5 Year Celebration, which will run into late March and add a bunch of new content to Pokemon Masters. Its first additions will be the next set of characters from Pokemon Sword and Shield.
The former undefeated Champion Leon and fan-favorite Marnie will be added to the sync pair scout tomorrow on February 25th with their respective partners, Charizard and Morpeko. After that, Gloria and Zacian will return on March 3rd, followed by the last two remaining Champions that have yet to be added: Iris from Unova (technically making her second appearance) and Diantha from Kalos. They will be partnered with Hydreigon and Gardevoir and arrive on March 17th and March 30th respectively.
Two new events for Leon and Marnie are also scheduled for February 25th and March 3rd. The first, Champion Time, will see Leon face off against Blue. Seeing the franchise's very first Champion take on the most recent is bound to excite long time fans. Nothing is really known about Marnie's event aside from its title, Yell and Dream.
These are probably the main announcements, but there is a whole lot more as detailed on the game's official Twitter. Regular log-in bonuses, for example, can yield up to 10,000 gems to spend on acquiring more Sync Pairs, the Legendary Latias is coming to the Legendary Arena, and there will be a 5 star-Select Special Scout ×11 on February 27th, which will let players obtain a 5 star Sync Pair of their choosing.
While it may not be explicitly mentioned, it's surely no coincidence that this is taking place not just on the year of Pokemon's 25th anniversary but the same week as Pokemon Day, which is happening this Saturday on February 27th. Fans are expecting some kind of major announcement on that date, namely a new game announcement, with the most popular theory being remakes of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl.
Pokemon Masters EX is available on Android and iOS devices.