Pokémon Champions is the latest cross-play video game for Nintendo Switch and mobile phones. Game Freak is overseeing the project while The Pokemon Works will develop the title. It looks to be a new version of the Stadium and Colosseum games fans enjoyed in the past, which could make this a fan favorite if it's done well.
Information on the game is pretty slim, though they did show how the series went from intense battles on Game Boy systems all the way to Switch and phones. Eventually, we saw footage of Champions being played, with one Nintendo Switch player facing off against a mobile gamer. Visually, it’s one of the better-looking games from this series, likely because it's focused solely on battles.
We still don’t know if Pokémon Champions is going to be a free-to-play title like previous cross-games on Switch and mobile devices. This game does have support for Pokémon Home, so fans can presumably bring over their critters from Scarlet and Violet. It’s clear that this is based on the Stadium games and that’s a good thing.
For those unfamiliar with the franchise, Stadium was also focused on 3D battles, giving fans their first look at fully 3D Pokémon at the time. What made this game great was that players could use their party from the Game Boy games. This meant that the Raichu you had raised was now in beautiful N64 3D.
Unfortunately, no release date was given for Pokémon Champions, so only time will tell when this ambitious title comes to Switch and mobile devices. It is somewhat surprising to see them go back to an older style of spinoff, especially one that’s on Switch and mobile devices. We did get New Pokémon Snap and that Mystery Dungeon remake but those feel really old now.
Expect more news on Champions from us here at Gfinity when it becomes available!