In many ways, Pokémon Champions is the game that fans have been asking for since the series went online during Gen 4, closer to the classic Pokémon Stadium titles than the modern ones. Fans have been clamoring for a dedicated battle system, which is why many unofficial Pokémon battle simulators are so popular online, especially since they allow for international battle mechanics.
The issue has always been that Pokémon battles are one part of the series. People play Pokémon for various reasons, as people like to catch, collect, explore, and the story like fighting. The question is whether the average Pokémon fan will turn up for a dedicated fighting game.
Pokémon Go Tournament Winner Loses Title For Absurd Reason
The winner of the 2026 Pokémon Orlando Regional Championships was stripped of his title for unsportsmanlike conduct, due to an incredibly low move.
Pokémon Champions is finally here to give players a chance to experience the big leagues, as it opens the door to high-level games like never before. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stick to the landing and feels more like a work in progress than a finished product.
Pokémon Champions Free Ticket to Play Championship
Pokémon Champions is a free-to-play (or rather, free-to-start) fighting simulator for the Nintendo Switch & Switch 2, with mobile ports in development. Don’t expect any kind of single-player content in the usual sense, where the player goes on a journey to defeat Gym Leaders, collect Badges, challenge the Elite Four, defeat the Champion, and capture them all. No, this game is about fighting other players.
What’s amazing about Pokémon Champions is how risk-free it is to make money. Real-money purchases are for cosmetic items, Pokémon GO-style box upgrades to allow players to keep more Pokémon, and tickets that speed up access to certain Pokémon from a random rotating list.
Don’t expect any kind of single-player content in the usual sense, where the player goes on a journey to defeat Gym Leaders, collect Badges, challenge the Elite Four, defeat the Champion, and capture them all.
It’s really surprising that the game doesn’t push a pay-to-win agenda, even though that would be the death of the game in terms of competitive battles. The only question is whether the Pokémon Company sticks to this going forward, as the game was suspiciously generous when it launched, but as Pokémon GO has proven, this can change in a small amount.
It is possible that Pokémon Champions may be pushing a subscription to Pokémon Home, as it is possible to bring Pokémon from that application, but even this can be done without a subscription, since anything in the basic box of Pokémon Home is free to move to Pokémon Champions.
10 Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen Features That Still Feel Better Than Modern Pokémon Games
Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen is now on Nintendo Switch & Switch 2, and they do a great job of making the new games look badass.
Pokémon Champions Has a Lack of Content at Launch
While Pokémon Champions has a few strange NPCs, these serve as the non-playable faces of various institutions. It won’t be long before the player jumps into the game, which is where most of the content is available in Pokémon Champions.
At launch, Pokémon Champions had about 180 Pokémon, which is a respectable number, even if fans were upset that it was missing the entire Pokédex. It’s very frustrating that, with the exception of Pikachu, the rest of the lineup is last-tier Pokémon. This means that there isn’t currently much diversity in the high-level Pokémon pool, and creatures like Incineroar already dominate the scene, meaning players should expect to see a few of the same faces at higher levels of play.
At launch, Pokémon Champions had about 180 Pokémon, which is a respectable number, even if fans were upset that it was missing the entire Pokédex.
It’s very frustrating that there is a lack of modes in Pokémon Champions at launch, with only 3v3 singles and 4v4 doubles at launch. Fans have been waiting for a full 6v6 experience, like in the flagship games, and it’s shocking that it still isn’t in Pokémon Champions.
There’s also anger over the absence of Tera-type Pokémon, shown during the first trailer, where generational battle strategies were promised. At launch, only Mega Evolutions were available.
It feels like Pokémon Champions is missing a lot on purpose, so it could be added in future updates. Honestly, I’d rather have a game cost $10-20 at launch and have more features right off the bat to keep me interested, than be involved in a live service that will keep trying to turn me back later.
8 Pokémon games that prove the series can still surprise players
These eight Pokemon games exceeded the expectations of the fans and managed to surprise the players.
It’s Never Been Easier To Build And Use Competitive Pokémon
The best aspect of Pokémon Champions is how easy it is to get into competitive battles, and I don’t mean picking a team and throwing them into the game. Pokémon Champions offers many options for customizing and training Pokémon, helping players adapt to their needs.
In Pokémon Champions, changing a Pokémon’s Nature, Strength, and move pool is just a click of a button. In mainstream games, these are nightmares to come true, especially in older titles, where players had to reproduce endlessly until they got what they wanted.
In Pokémon Champions, changing a Pokémon’s Nature, Strength, and move pool is just a click of a button.
It is also possible to adjust the stats using the handy sliders, allowing players to distribute the points as needed. Throw in a handy menu where players can buy useful loot and Mega Stones (though these require in-game currency), and the result is a perfect way to test strategies.
Those who don’t have a stacked Pokémon group in the main games can choose one of the random selections of Pokémon found on the farm. These tickets use tickets that allow them to be rented temporarily or permanently, but these tickets are easily obtained by completing tutorials and daily tasks, which means that it should not be too difficult to create a team that competes with a small task.
If only the main Pokémon games made it this easy to prepare for competitive battles. It’s these quality-of-life changes that could make Pokémon Champions the main way people get involved in online battles, as it alleviates the empty work that has plagued the franchise for so long.
But What About Battles In Pokémon Champions?
Battles in Pokémon Champions are similar to those players have experienced in the mainline games. It’s the same turn-based mechanics that appeared in Pokémon Red & Blue, except with better graphics.
Anyone who enjoys the battles in the main Pokémon games will find that action in Pokémon Champions, but the question is whether they can keep their interest. As mentioned before, there is no catch or story in this game. Anyone who loves fighting will love what Pokémon Champions has to offer.
Pokémon Champions has great tutorials that explain the mechanics well, in ways that the main games never attempt. They also offer great in-game rewards for completing them, encouraging players to learn how the mechanics work.
Anyone who enjoys the battles in the main Pokémon games will find that action in Pokémon Champions, but the question is whether they can keep their interest.
The visuals in Pokémon Champions are a step up from the new visuals in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, though they’re still not at the level of New Pokémon Snap. There are also a ton of customization options for human trainers, though the game’s clothing leaves a lot to be desired. The lack of cool clothing feels intentional, with better gear saved for further down the road and locked behind paywalls.
Pokémon Champions has a ton of great songs from the franchise’s history that can be used in their battles. Anyone who wants to go retro can pull off the war themes of the Game Boy era if they choose. It’s just a shame that there aren’t more battlefields in the game, as there is a ton of scope for locations from the series.
Pokémon Pokopia: Learn to Jump
Sure, you can naturally jump, but jumping opens up so many possibilities in Pokémon Pokopia!
Pokémon Champions Launched in the Rocky State
It’s a good thing that Pokémon Champions is free, as it was introduced in a difficult situation. Apart from the content, the game had a list of bugs and technical problems, right down to basic text errors, where the movements were incorrectly informed. Fortunately, some of this has been addressed, but the tone is still alive and well with fans online.
Pokémon Champions is a live service game, so it’s only natural that issues will arise when it finally goes online. These issues will (hopefully) be resolved in time, but it’s not a good thing for the game to be in this dire situation right off the bat, especially since the terrible situation of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet on the Nintendo Switch is still on the minds of fans.
Apart from the content, the game had a list of bugs and technical problems, right down to basic text errors, where the movements were incorrectly informed.
Since Pokémon Champions will be adding content over time, I’m left wondering if this will start a cycle of bugs introduced with each content update. There are few things more frustrating than losing a Pokémon battle due to quitting the game, and the common occurrence would quickly kill any interest I have in Pokémon Champions.
Closing Thoughts
Pokémon Champions feels like a work in progress, in a bad way. While the battles are good and the QoL improvements are a godsend, there is a distinct feeling that the product is unfinished and lacks valuable content that will be measured over time. Throw in some bugs, and the result is a game I might want to check out in six months or a year, but doesn’t have enough quality content to attract me now.
8 Best Pokemon ROM Hacks With Extensive Post-Game Content
Finished the game, but still have that itch? Say no more!
