Pokémon Champions developer The Pokémon Works issued an apology following the game’s April 8 launch, which was marred by bugs and issues. The studio assured players that fixes are underway.
Pokémon Champions Devs Acknowledge Launch Problems
Incorrect Details and Technical Errors
Pokémon Champions launching on the Nintendo Switch systems proved far from seamless, as it faced immediate criticism across several fronts, from technical flaws to displaying erroneous information inconsistent with the previous games.
Developer The Pokémon Works responded to the launch issues with an official apology updated as of April 10, 2026 JST, promising resolutions and an ongoing investigation into further problems. "We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. We hope you continue to enjoy Pokémon Champions," they said.
They outlined problems that they are currently addressing:
⚫︎ Incorrect description text for the Leech Seed status.
⚫︎ Incorrect gender for some Pokémon in the tutorial.
⚫︎ Inability to select moves after hovering over "Mega Evolution" while viewing move details and pressing the B button.
⚫︎ Communication errors when transferring Pokémon from Pokémon HOME.
Meanwhile, they have already implemented fixes for the following:
⚫︎ Incorrect turn order occurring under specific conditions when both players' Pokémon Mega Evolve simultaneously.
⚫︎ The "Lightning Rod" Ability failing to activate correctly while under the effects of an "Encore" move.
⚫︎ Incorrect gender of some Pokémon in the released coordinated teams.
⚫︎ HP displays not updating correctly after using certain moves such as "Haze" or "Sunny Day."
⚫︎ Attack and Speed stats do not increase when a Pokémon is in an Encore state and uses "Dragon Dance."
Refinement Urgency Before August World Championships
With Pokémon Champions set to become the official platform for competitive play, fans are voicing concerns over the game's polish ahead of major live events, such as the Pokémon World Championships scheduled for August 28-30, 2026. Moreover, only two months remain until the Indianapolis Pokémon Regional Champions takes place on May 29 - 31 and becomes the first live event to implement the new VGC standard.
Aside from the technical problems cited by the developer in their apology, there were also other factors that characterized the game's rocky launch. Several players expressed disappointment due to the lack of features and content staples that have long defined the franchise's VGC experience.
This includes reducing the roster of usable Pokémon from 1,025 down to just 186, the omission of important held items for competitive battles, and the removal of the traditional 6v6 Singles gameplay.
In our Game8 first impressions review of Pokémon Champions, we examined its accessibility as a free-to-start game, while also delving into several drawbacks: a pseudo-gacha system, pay-to-progress incentives, and team-building impediments.
In particular, we noted that the absence of Individual Values (IVs) oversimplified the competitive scene, extracting a core gameplay component that high-skilled players have already grown accustomed to. IVs are hidden stats in a Pokémon that players can utilize or maximize for various strategic purposes.
Given the game’s problematic launch, some players began speculating whether time crunches and tight deadlines had led to Quality Assurance (QA) lapses that significantly undermined its live release.
A Pokémon title riddled with bugs upon launch is not a new, isolated occurrence. For instance, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet developer Game Freak still rolled out refinement updates for the game since its buggy release in 2022.
Recently, only Pokémon Pokopia (2025) has managed to break the mold, becoming the highest-rated Pokémon title on Metacritic and surpassing the mainline entries Pokémon X and Y (2013) and Pokémon Sun and Moon (2016).
Pokémon Champions is now available on Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch, with its iOS and Android versions coming later in 2026. To stay up-to-date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below.
Sources:
Official Website | 現在発生している不具合について
Metacritic | The Pokemon Company
