It appears to be a free-to-start blend of Pokemon Stadium and Pokemon Showdown.
The new game is coming to Switch, with a free upgrade for Switch 2 which will allow better performance and visuals. An online connection is required to download the update.
The game will be what is called a “Free-to-start” title, meaning you can jump right in without paying anything upfront. You will have the ability to bring in Pokemon you collected through the RPG titles, and Pokemon Go, and then level up from there. You will also get the opportunity to recruit one Pokemon per week to add to your roster, exclusively for Pokemon Champions.
Check out the trailer:
If that isn’t enough there are, of course, paid routes you can take too.
Players also have the option to purchase the Pokémon Champions + Starter Pack bundle for 50 more Pokémon in their storage box, the “Battle! (Trainer Battle)” song from Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!, 30 Teammate Tickets and 50 Training Tickets. Additionally, a Premium Battle Pass and Membership will also be available for purchase in the game.
That is not all, the game has many different ways to play as well. And it appears that using VP will be the quickest way to gain an edge on other players, making it slightly pay-to-win in a sense.
The game includes:
- Pokémon Battles – Pokémon Champions focuses on competing online against Trainers from near and far in turn-based, one-on-one Single Battles or two-on-two Double Battles. Gather a team of six Pokémon to challenge your opponents and make use of strategies like swapping Pokémon mid-battle, powering them up with Mega Evolution, making use of type advantages and more to secure victory. Decisions you make on the fly could influence the tide of battle, so choose wisely.
- Recruit Pokémon – Recruit battle-ready Pokémon in two ways: Connect to the Pokémon HOME app where certain Pokémon you’ve obtained and transferred from the Pokémon RPG series and the Pokémon GO app will be available to join your team. Or, recruit one random Pokémon per day, which will be available to you for one week and only usable in Pokémon Champions. You can also use Victory Points (VP) to recruit multiple Pokémon in a single day. Plus, spend VP to recruit Pokémon permanently.
- Online Modes – Test your skills in Ranked Battles and aim for the top spot against similarly ranked Trainers. Experiment freely in Casual Battles, where wins and losses aren’t recorded. And in Private Battles, create a room and battle against anyone with the Room ID. There will also be in-game Online Competitions, which have preset rules that change every season.
- Victory Points (VP) –Earned VP can be spent in several ways. In addition to recruiting Pokémon, you can spend VP to train Pokémon and adjust their moves, abilities, stat points, Natures and more. Head to the in-game Shop and you can also exchange VP to purchase various things such as held items, Mega Stones, battle music, and even new looks and styles for your trainer – including clothing, Poké Ball throwing styles and more.
The game hopefully feels familar to many players by using standard turn based mechanics, and Pokemon standardized move sets. You can evolve your roster, recall Pokemon mid battle, and use items for boosts. This appears to be a way to get the people interested in battling it out into one space.
Personally, almost instantly upon seeing the gameplay, the game reminded me of Pokemon Stadium and it got me excited. Are you looking forward to it?
The game releases on April 8th.
