Pokémon Champions, a new multiplayer game based on “core series battling,” has been confirmed to be in development. The announcement was made during this year’s Pokémon Presents, an annual livestream that honors PokémonDay every February 27.
Today, The Pokémon Company announced that it is developing a new Nintendo Switch and mobile game focused on core series battles calledPokémon Champions.The new game will feature the turn-based battle system found in traditionalPokémongames,with features like Mega Evolution and Terastallization both available.The game will also have compatibility withPokémon HOME, allowing players to bring their Pokémon from past games into battle.
Game Freak is heading the project, with Pokémon Works handling actual production. No release date was announced for the new series.
Why Now Is The Right Time For Pokémon Champions
Pokémon Champions Competes With Pokémon Showdown, Offers A Permanent Home For VGC Battles
Pokémon Championsfollows in the tradition ofPokémon Stadium, a Nintendo 64 game focused on core series battling without any of the other RPG aspects.Pokémon ChampionsandPokémon Stadiumshare many similarities, with players able tobring in Pokémon from their other games.The game also seems to focus on the 2v2 style of battling used in the VGC competitive format,which leads to some speculation as to whetherPokémon Championswill be the future permanent home for the VGC format.
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Another interesting aspect is thatPokémon Championsis available on mobile platforms.One of the primary ways players practiced VGC battles was through thePokémon Showdownwebsite, which allowed players to create customized versions of Pokémon and battle them in 2v2 formats.
Pokémon Showdownwas available via mobile browsersand is widely used for unofficial ranked play and practicing Pokémon battles against human opponents. The Pokémon Company has always turned a blind eye toPokémon Showdown, but this new game is definitely a competitor to the bootleg system.
Our Take: A Long Overdue Home For Pokémon Battles
This Is The Biggest Announcement of Pokémon Day
One of the major aspects of core seriesPokémongames is the traditional turn-based battle system that plays out like a combination of chess and rock-paper-scissors. While core series battling has evolved with new layers added to every game, it remains the basis of the popular VGC competitionhosted at every Pokémon World Championshipand other competitive events. But withPokémon Legendsgames deviating from that system and limited-time gimmicks introduced in almost every game, there is a need for a central home for this kind of battling.
The prospect of turn-based Pokémon battles on mobile devices is amazing for the long-term health of the VGC format of the game. Assuming thatPokémon Championsis properly supported, this could be a huge addition to the Pokémon franchise andshould help shut down lingering complaints about the lack of a National Pokédex in games.
With multiple battle gimmicks supported,Pokémon Championswill also open up dream matches only seen in the anime to date. Imagine a Mega Evolved Charizard battling against a Gigantamax Cinderace or a Terastallized Ogerpon.Pokémon Championsis thePokémon Stadiumsuccessor we’ve been waiting for.
