Business · The Verge
Pokémon Champions is off to a rough start
Compiled by KHAO Editorial — aggregated from 1 outlet. See llms.txt for citation guidance.
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The new free-to-start battle sim could be great for competitive Pokémon, but it’s got some kinks to work out first.
Key facts
- And if you’re serious about battling, Champions will soon be the game used in official in-person tournaments, including this year’s World Championships
- But Champions also takes some big steps to make battling more approachable, and that’s where the tension lies
- The reporter has over 2,500 pokémon stored in Pokémon Home, the franchise’s cloud storage app, and even more in Scarlet and Legends: Z-A that the reporter hasn't yet transferred — This does nothing to help onboard new VGC players, who are now more likely to pick a worthless item that puts them at a disadvantage
Summary
Like many live-service games before it, Pokémon Champions ’ launch has been messy. Coming hot on the heels of Pokopia, a creative and cozy spinoff with no battling whatsoever, Champions is the complete opposite. So, in other words, Champions is for the real battle sickos. It’s not that approachability is a bad thing.