- Primary Subject: Pokémon Champions (Launch Version 1.0.0 / Season 1)
- Key Update: Since launching on April 8, the game has established Regulation M-A as the core competitive standard, exclusively supporting 3v3 Single Battles and 4v4 Double Battles to prepare players for the upcoming Indianapolis Regionals on May 29.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: April 17, 2026
- Quick Answer: Pokémon Champions uses 3v3 and 4v4 formats to ensure balanced, fast-paced competitive play and to align casual players with official Play! Pokémon tournament standards.
Pokemon Champions has certainly become a hit with fans who are into nothing but battling, as it can be considered the official way to get into the series' competitive scene. As soon as you boot the game, you can get right into duking it out with opponents from around the globe and pitting your knowledge and skills against theirs.
It is certainly a fun time, especially for the veterans, but there are still some concerns, especially when it comes to the battling format. There are quite a number of players who question the lack of traditional six-versus-six matches, something that many casual Pokemon fans are used to and would have loved to see in the game.
Instead, battles are three-on-three for singles matches and four-on-four for doubles. Players are still expected to create a team of six, but will be forced to leave out either two or three, depending on the type of match they're playing. Understandably, several aren't happy with this, as they would want to be able to use everything in their arsenal and expect their opponents to do the same.
However, I believe that it's a good thing that Nintendo and Game Freak didn't include the traditional six-versus-six in Pokemon Champions, and one of the reasons is that the game was not designed for it. Again, the purpose of Pokemon Champions is to provide everyone an easy entryway into the competitive scene, and that means learning about the battling formats that come with it.
The six-versus-six match type that regular fans of the series are used to isn't exactly ideal for serious battles, as the number of Pokemon that can be used greatly affects the balancing aspect. It is already very hard keeping track of the different types of creatures you have to watch out for, but if you add in the different items they can hold, the moves they could have, and their abilities, then it would all be too much to keep up with.
This would place certain people at a serious disadvantage, considering that not everybody has memorized everything when it comes to Pokemon battling, and not all have the endurance to consider and take action against every different possibility. So by allowing players to carry six team members but limiting them to use only three or four, it at least takes away some of the pressure and gives both sides more breathing room.
At the end of the day, it's still all about who's better at using what they have, but at least the limitation to singles and doubles battles ensures an even playing field. Another reason why it's a good thing that Pokemon Champions stuck with competitive formats is that it makes the game the best way for casual players to learn about and get used to them.
Again, so many are used to the six-versus-six type of battle that they might think that it's what's normally played when they join in on professional tournaments. You can only imagine the shocked and horrified faces they might have when they enter one, only to find out that they can't use their entire team.
Playing Pokemon Champions with its competitive formats prevents something as embarassing as that from happening. Having casual players learn about three-on-three and four-on-four matches is also good for updating the strategies they likely wanted to use.
Since they're so used to the traditional battle format and have likely never participated in online or LAN multiplayer, whatever plans they came up with were meant with six Pokemon on both sides in mind. Obviously, those won't be as effective if you take two or three out of the equation, meaning they'll be at a disadvantage.
By learning and getting used to the competitive format, these players will be able to adjust their strategies accordingly, ensuring that their preparations have a better chance of securing a victory. The final reason why sticking with the competitive format is a good thing is that it can make tournament hosting much easier.
With Nintendo and Game Freak releasing such a game, they now have a way to dictate the professional rule settings that must be followed. This takes away some of the pressure from tournament hosts, as they would normally have to think of what should or shouldn't be legal or banned to ensure balance in matches, which can be a tiring and grueling process.
Not saying that they should follow whatever Pokemon Champions forces with its competitive format, given that it could still be messy, but there is at least something to follow. Also, since it's coming from the official creators of the series, it makes it easier for players to accept.
It's great that there is now an official Pokemon game that's designed around competitive play, and I hope it stays that way. The casual fans tend to benefit from it the most anyway, and the serious trainers get to enjoy knowing that more competition will be coming their way as a result.
For more like this, stick with us here at Gfinityesports.com, the best website for gaming features and opinions.