Pokémon Champions Review in Progress: A Free Live Service Pokémon Game
GameCentral published on April 10, 2026, at 1:00 AM. The spirit of Pokémon Stadium makes a return in this new free-to-play battle simulator, which has launched in a surprisingly rough state for a first-party Nintendo game. Pokémon has seemed to be in the doldrums for at least the last decade. The trading card game renaissance started some time ago, but in terms of video games, the magic has been missing since at least Sun and Moon on the 3DS.
A Turnaround in the Pokémon Universe
The various Switch games have seen plenty of firsts for the series, but their technical failings and relentless cheapness began to sour fans on the franchise. However, in the last six months, things have seen a remarkable turnaround. Pokémon Legends: Z-A was a step in the right direction, while Pokémon Pokopia is currently a favourite game of the year. The reveal of next year's Pokémon Winds and Waves, which features good graphics, sets the tone for the next decade of Pokémon, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
It is into this new era of optimism that Pokémon Champions appears: a free-to-play game initially available only on Switch but also coming to smartphones. Long-term Pokémon fans will immediately recognise Champions as being of the same lineage as the N64 title Pokémon Stadium, which was the first time Pokémon had ever been represented in 3D.
Gameplay Mechanics and Microtransactions
Champions works on three tiers. Players who pay nothing and don't import any custom Pokémon are stuck with pre-established critters, which they essentially have to buy from a safari zone, grinding out enough in-game currency to get more. Importing from Pokémon Home gives a major advantage, mostly in terms of selection, as the game tries to level the playing field in stats.
The third type of player is willing to pay real money to buy new Pokémon and items, as well as purchasing the battle pass and an annual subscription of £41.99. The matchmaking system means that in theory, you shouldn't have to worry about them, but it's galling to know others have a very different experience due to spending.
Battles and Presentation
Unlike mainline games, Pokémon don't earn experience in a traditional role-playing game manner. Training and customising Pokémon are streamlined to abstraction, using in-game currency to change stats and moves manually, which is less interesting. Battles play out identically to Pokémon Stadium and mainline games, with 30 seconds to choose a Pokémon and move, turn-based combat, type conflicts, status changes, and held items.
Mega evolutions are part of battles if you have a compatible stone, but currently, only 186 out of 1,025 Pokémon are in the game. Many items are missing, mirroring Pokémon Stadium's initial Japanese launch. In terms of presentation, Champions is disappointing, with 30fps graphics, sluggish menus, and undetailed 3D models, designed primarily for phones with no Switch 2 edition. There's no voice-acting, missing the cheesy commentator from Stadium.
Bugs and Future Potential
The game is surprisingly buggy, rushed for launch with a day one patch and reports of Pokémon lost in transfer from Pokémon Home. Fans are upset that in doubles matches, you can only field four Pokémon from a party of six, which is professional tournament rules but limiting here. It's not hard to take issue with Champions, but it's clearly not finished yet and it's free.
For veteran Pokémon fans, the benefit is easy access to online matches with good matchmaking. Otherwise, it aims at hardcore esports fans and newcomers, with good tutorials and a straightforward interface. Champions fulfils that remit reasonably well but is hard to get excited about, better to note for later when it's more complete.
Formats: Nintendo Switch (reviewed), iOS, and Android. Price: Free-to-play. Publisher: The Pokémon Company. Developer: The Pokémon Works. Release Date: 8th April 2026 (mobile TBC). Age Rating: 7.
