One Key Feature Could Be Make or Break for Pokemon Champions

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Following a period of little news, Pokemon Champions is launching on both Nintendo Switch and the upcoming Switch 2 on April 8th. The game focuses on Pokemon battles where players build teams by recruiting or transferring Pokemon, then compete against others online. It’s designed to be the main competitive Pokemon game, used for official virtual battles and championships. However, whether Pokemon Champions becomes truly popular will likely depend on how well it manages its in-game purchases – a common challenge for free-to-start games.

I recently got to try out Pokemon Champions before its release at a preview event. We played it on the new Switch 2, and I was impressed by the improved graphics. However, I quickly noticed the game frequently asks you to spend Victory Points (VP) to do almost anything. While it’s expected that free-to-start games like Champions have in-game currency, how well that currency is balanced between paying and non-paying players will be crucial, especially since the game focuses heavily on player-versus-player battles.

Pokemon Champions Will Need to Tread Carefully to Avoid Pay-to-Win Woes

Free-to-play games with a lot of player-versus-player (PvP) action face a tricky challenge when it comes to making money. It’s not just about players getting annoyed with having to work hard to earn items or features. When winning in a game like Pokemon Champions depends on in-game currency, players might be tempted to spend real money to get ahead. The game needs to find a good balance so that players who don’t spend money aren’t at a disadvantage.

Playing the game, I found that almost everything important – like adding new Pokémon to your team, training them to improve their abilities, and buying items – costs VP. While I enjoyed the gameplay, it wasn’t clear how easily free players will be able to earn enough VP to build a strong, competitive team. If it’s too difficult to get VP without spending money on the Battle Pass or extra VP purchases, players who don’t spend money might struggle to keep up, potentially creating a situation where paying players have a significant advantage.

It’s currently unknown whether transferring your best Pokémon from Pokémon HOME will cost Victory Points (VP). If these transfers are free or cheaper than recruiting new Pokémon, it could help balance the competitive scene in Champions. Players might be able to bring over their existing teams without spending VP, and then use those points to improve their Pokémon’s stats and moves to compete effectively.

Pokémon Champions will feature a seasonal Battle Pass, similar to Pokémon Go’s, with both free and premium options. Players can unlock rewards by progressing through the Battle Pass. An optional Starter Pack will also be available, providing extra Pokémon storage and the ability to save more Battle Teams. Pricing for these features in the US hasn’t been announced yet, and we don’t know how much in-game currency (VP) will cost. These prices, and how easily players can earn that currency, will be crucial to the game’s long-term success.

Pokemon Champions May Have Already Sidestepped One Key Monetization Complaint from Prior Pokemon Games

A common issue with how games make money is having too many different currencies. We’ve seen this in past Pokemon games, like Pokemon TCG Pocket. Having so many currencies is confusing and makes it hard for players who don’t spend money to progress. So far, Champions seems to be avoiding this problem.

The Battle Pass appears to offer extra currency, though I didn’t notice it during my initial play. The rewards seem to give you options to save Victory Points (VP) instead of introducing a completely new currency. I was happy to find that in Pokemon Champions, VP was the only currency used for everything – recruiting, training, and more. You didn’t need anything else like Hourglasses or Stardust. As someone used to the complicated currency system in Pokemon TCG Pocket, this simpler approach is a big step forward.

It’s too early to say definitively whether Champions has simplified how players spend money. However, my first impression is that it doesn’t overwhelm you with different currencies. If the game strikes a good balance between earning rewards through gameplay and offering reasonably priced optional purchases, Champions could be a strong free-to-play title. But that’s a big question mark for now, and I need to play more before I can say if it will become one of my go-to free games.

Thinking about purchasing the premium features in Pokemon Champions? Or are you holding off to see what others think first? Share your thoughts and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-03-25 22:12