Hoopa, Hoopa, Hoopa! The mythical mischief Pokémon has joined the ever sprawling roster of Pokémon Unite, much to everyone’s shock and disbelief. And quite rightly so! For weeks the Pokémon Company and the game developers have been teasing a couple of new characters to be introduced in the game, the latest one being a supporter type. No one in their wildest dreams would have even imagined Pokémon Unite will add Hoopa as a supporter, especially due to its high attack stats which is very uncommon for the role it has been assigned to. Players all over the world did know that a new Pokémon was going to join Unite, on account of the Pokémon Day celebrations, but let’s admit it, no one expected Hoopa! So who's that Pokémon?
Who Is Hoopa?
Hoopa is a dual-type Psychic/Ghost Mythical Pokémon introduced in Generation VI (Kalos region). It is based on a fairly popular Arabic mythological being, called the jinn or genie (yes, the one from Aladdin). It has two forms, the tiny, cute, ringed, mischievous genie called Hoopa Confined, who is then converted into Hoopa Unbound using an item called Prison Bottle, and is a hulking, six-armed scary Psychic/Dark giant who looks like it definitely doesn’t belong to a Pokémon game. Hoopa has appeared in several anime episodes and in the film Hoopa — The Mischief Pokémon, which acts as a prelude to the next movie Hoopa and the Clash of Ages, where he acts as both the antagonist and the protagonist. It is in this film you see the true power of Hoopa, going against some of the most powerful legendary Pokémon and coming out on top single-handedly. Yes, he is that powerful! No wonder the Pokémon community is freaking out right now.
How to Get Hoopa in Pokémon Unite?
Hoopa was released in Pokémon Unite on February 24, 2022, and left not just the players but the whole Pokémon community bewildered. And just as its anime counterpart, Hoopa is an overpowered supporter, with its teleporting and high damage-causing abilities that are surely going to change the gameplay, team compositions, and the competitive sphere very soon. It was made available for free for all the players as a reward that they could get after completing special daily missions in the game on account of Pokémon Day celebrations. Check out the character spotlight video from Pokémon Unite above.
What Are Hoopa's Abilities and Moves?
Pokémon Unite has done an incredible job so far in truly representing the various characters from the anime in the game. Hoopa has some amazing abilities and move-sets, very similar to its TV screen counterpart, and this small guide might help you get the most out of this incredible mythical Pokémon.
Passive Ability: Magician
Though it is described as a passive, Hoopa is the only Pokémon in the game that can use its passive at will, i.e. it is you who will have complete control when to access it using a button that appears close to your move-set. This ability, which has a 40-second cooldown, allows you to steal berries and Aeos Energy from your opponents’ side of the map, and spawn it next to you for a couple of seconds. Use it wisely, and you can stagger your enemies’ healing, speed boosts, and get more scores. This ability is often overlooked, as players are not used to having an extra button on the screen! But this ability does have a catch, if there’s neither a berry nor Aeos Energy to grab, it will go on a 20-second cooldown, and it cannot be used in Hoopa Unbound form.
Moves
Basic Attack: Similar to every other Pokémon in the game, every third attack is boosted in confined form. However, once it gets turned into Hoopa Unbound, every attack is boosted, hitting up to two Pokémon at the same time. Here are the exact stats, courtesy of Unite-db.
Damage - Basic: 100% Atk
Damage - Boosted: 53% SpA + 8 x (Level - 1) + 160
Move 1: Astonish (Cooldown: 5.9 secs): Hoopa throws one of its rings forward, through which it peeks and “astonishes” its opponent leaving them stunned for a short time.
Damage: 116% SpA + 18 x (Level - 1) + 340
Move 2: Confusion (Cooldown: 8.1 secs): Shoots a small telekinetic blast that deals area damage after a short time and slows enemies.
Damage - Initial: 56% SpA + 6 x (Level - 1) + 190
Damage - Explosion: 112% SpA + 12 x (Level - 1) + 380
Astonish Upgrade Choices
Phantom Force (Cooldown: 5 secs): Hoopa dashes to a designated position, deals damage, then if used again within 5 seconds, warps it back to its starting point. When used in conjunction with the move Trick, allows one ally Pokémon to warp to your starting point and heal 30% of their max HP. At level 12, Hoopa also becomes invincible for 0.6 seconds.
Damage: 110% SpA + 14 x (Level - 1) + 320
Damage - per flame (2 flames): 55% SpA + 7 x (Level - 1) + 160
Shadow Ball (Cooldown: 4.1 secs): Hits the enemy with a little purple ball, decreases their movement speed by 50% for 1 second and Special Defense by 30% for 3 seconds. If Hoopa manages to hit once again with a basic attack within 4 seconds, the opponent is stunned for 1.2 seconds. When used with Trick, throws an additional ball at the opponent from the location of an ally Pokémon. At level 12, the ball sticks to the enemy for a few seconds before exploding and dealing additional damage.
Damage: 102% SpA + 14 x (Level - 1) + 300
Damage - Additional: 25.5% SpA + 4 x (Level - 1) + 75
Damage - Bonus (during Trick): can trigger multiple times: 10.2% SpA + 1 x (Level - 1) + 30
Confusion Upgrade Choices
Hyperspace Hole (Cooldown: 10 secs): A move that has shocked players all over the world. It not only deals area damage at a designated position, but it also allows you and your allies to teleport back and forth from your home base, allowing them to heal to full health and then jump back to the previous location within 3 seconds using a small button that appears at the middle of your screen. When used on your own goal, it allows you to change lanes instantly along with your allies when they step inside the hole for 6.5 seconds. Also, slightly increases movement speed shortly after warping. After an ally Pokémon warps, there is a 15-second cooldown before that ally can use these rings again. At level 10, increases your team’s movement speed when they are close to these holes.
Damage: 112% SpA + 9 x (Level - 1) + 370
Trick (Cooldown: 6.8 secs): Links Hoopa to its nearest ally, creates a shield for 3 seconds and increases movement speed for 2 seconds. Whenever you use Shadow Ball or a basic attack, the move is repeated at the ally Pokémon’s location within a timeframe of 7 seconds. At level 10, heals linked Pokémon’s HP by 40% of the damage dealt to enemies.
Shield: 200% SpA + 30 x (Level - 1) + 400
Hoopa's Unite Move: Rings Unbound
Hoopa’s ultimate move transforms it into Hoopa Unbound for a short time, and it is a sight to behold. It is easily one of the biggest in-game characters on-screen and is just as terrifying. Though it cannot score goals in this form, it deals heavy damage with its new moves: Hyperspace Fury and Psybeam. Its HP increases by 40%, and it creates a ring that allows each ally to warp to the ring's location one time using a button that appears on their screen for a short window of time. Hyperspace Fury (Cooldown: 7 seconds) deals 7 massive quick blows to opponents immediately in front of it while Psybeam (Cooldown: 9 seconds) is a deadly psychic attack that deals damage to opponents in a horizontal sweeping motion.
Damage - Basic Attack: 65% SpA + 7 x (Level - 1) + 190
Damage - Hyperspace Fury: 22% SpA + 2 x (Level - 1) + 70
Damage - Psybeam: 194% SpA + 14 x (Level - 1) + 650
Hoopa is definitely the most exciting Pokémon that Pokémon Unite has introduced so far, and will impact the competitive arena in a big way with its warping abilities. It levels up steadily upto level 9, at which it gains its Unite move, but after that, its power increases by leaps and bounds by every level gained. So allies, stay close to this Pokémon, and opponents beware! Hoopa has been unleashed!